


The Ninja Companion Prologue 1

by SansTheBee



Series: The Ninja Companion [1]
Category: Balto (Movies), Disney - All Media Types, Disney Cartoons (Classic), Oswald The Lucky Rabbit - Fandom, Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja, The Alice Comedies
Genre: Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Crossover, Disney, F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi, prolouge
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-26
Updated: 2016-09-25
Packaged: 2018-08-17 09:00:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 12
Words: 109,996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8138248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SansTheBee/pseuds/SansTheBee
Summary: Prologue 1 of 4. This story shows the origin of the ninja's animal companion, which was started with First Ninja's cat Julius (The Alice Comedies).





	1. Can We Be a Family?

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first of 4 prologues to my Lion King and Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja, The Ninja's Companion. This story is in the crossover with Disney, because it doesn't get Lion King elements until Prologue 2.

Since Norrisville's founding there has always been a protector, more a vigilante than anything. The past hero sired nine sons, who were next to protect the village. These nine took their role seriously,and from their father's tales of almost getting killed, they decided to disguise themselves as ninjas.

 

Each one wore a different color: Red,Blue,Green,Purple,Yellow,Orange,White, and Gray.

 

Each ninja had a squire to assist as well. Eight of them treated their squires like servants more than anything.

 

However, the Red Ninja was different.

 

“Look, he's hanging around with his squire again.” The Green Ninja said in disgust to the Gray one. “Doesn't he know what they're for? If he wanted friends he could have just stuck with us instead of making him his friend.”

 

The Gray Ninja bit his lip slightly, nodding, not wanting his brother's temper to get out of hand. He looked over to his own squire who was holding his robes for him.

 

“Doesn't it bother you when he brings his 'friend' to our training sessions?” Asked The Green Ninja.

 

The Gray Ninja nodded again. Sure, it was a bit distracting, but it wasn't that big of a deal. He,however, couldn't imagine he and his own squire being friends, being on good terms was as close as that would get. Wanting to change the subject he said, “We should probably get ready for training.”

 

“We have an hour.”

 

“Well...still...it might take a bit to get ready.” The Gray Ninja said, really wanting to stop the conversation about their brother.

 

“Alright, come on.” He looked over his shoulder. “Squire!”

 

His squire ran up to him. Despite his yelling and refusal to use his first name, he would still rush to his side right away. The Ninja made his heart flutter, and feel things no one else made him experience. He knew he shouldn't be in love with some one who hated him, but he couldn't help himself.

 

“Go get the others.” He said.

 

“Yes, sir.” He went off.

 

…...

 

The 40 or so minutes before training, the ninjas sat around and drank tea, waiting for their “odd” brother to return, while their squires sat nearby.

 

“I still can't believe he hangs out with his squire.” The Green Ninja complained. “I bet he's with that messenger too.”

 

“I don't see why this is a problem.” The Purple Ninja said. “Why is it any of our business who his friends are?”

 

The Green Ninja rolled his eyes. “You don't get it, do you? The squires are our assistants not friends! I'm sure you agree with me, right?” He asked The Yellow Ninja.

 

The Yellow Ninja looked at his squire. She was the youngest of all the others, only 12. She was an orphan, and if he wasn't afraid of his brother, he would call her his daughter. Sure, she still had to do tasks for him, but he used to bond with her: brush her hair, talk to her, and even buy her small presents.

 

“....Right.” He said, feeling his stomach churn. He had managed to push back his fatherly feelings for the girl, and he had reason to, right? He didn't want to be judged like The Red Ninja was after all. Also this was the girl's job right? To serve him, not be a child for him to take care of.

 

The Blue Ninja meanwhile rarely ever spoke to his squire. The two had a huge argument the first day he was assigned, and things had been worse ever since. Blue Ninja was quite the loner anyway, so it's not like they would've become friends had things gone well that day.

 

The Orange Ninja gave a quick glance to his squire before looking away. She blushed and averted her eyes. The two of them had fooled around in the past and it wasn't approved of by the others. Unlike Red Ninja, after being told not to get attached to his squire, he backed away from her and treated her as a servant.

 

The White Ninja didn't look at his squire, he knew he was loyal to him. He had taken the fear approach, making his squire know to not speak unless spoken to, and to do tasks in a certain way. He didn't realize the emotional damage he had done to him.

 

The squires sat together also drinking tea.

 

Green Ninja's squire looked over at them, his heart still pounding.

 

“You still have a crush?” Purple Ninja's squire teased.

 

“Well I uh...I...” He blushed and squirmed a bit, setting his cup down.

 

“It's okay.” Yellow Ninja's Squire said, putting her arm around him. “You shouldn't have to hide your feelings.”

 

“Thanks, but-”

 

“But, these things are risky.” The Orange Ninja's squire finished. Green Ninja's squire didn't even finish what he was going to say and hugged his knees to his chest, frowning.

 

“And he's not the kindest to you.” The Gray Ninja's squire said. “She's right, it's too risky.”

 

“Perhaps we should stop talking.” White Ninja's squire said, his voice low. “We might get in trouble if they hear us talking about this.”

 

“For being in love? I still don't see what's wrong with it.” Yellow Ninja's squire said softly.

 

The Orange Ninja's squire put her hand on her shoulder and explained, “It's better if we have boundaries. If we don't...Well,...People talk.”

 

“I don't understand.”

 

The older woman sighed. This child had no idea what had happened. The Yellow Ninja had a squire before her, who died of chorea. Things were, even if it was only slightly, better when he was there. Not to say that his death or her taking on the role was the cause, but it was just the way things played out.

 

“As I said, we should stop.” White Ninja's squire said through his teeth.

 

“Right...I don't wanna think about him anymore...” Green Ninja's squire said, but continued to stare at his ninja.

 

“You're not the only one that wants to stop thinking about them..” The Blue Ninja's squire grumbled.

 

“You still not over that fight?” The Purple Ninja's squire asked, rolling her eyes slightly.

 

“I'll never be over it.” He grumbled.

 

“Please....lets stop talking about this...” White Ninja's squire was starting to sound worried.

 

Wanting to get off the topic for other reasons, The Gray Ninja's squire said, “Yeah, they're going to start training soon anyway. They probably have tasks for us.”

 

“All of us except for Plop Plop.” Blue Ninja's Squire sneered. “He always gets a free pass!”

 

“But, for doing that, Red Ninja is the laughing stalk of his brothers.” Orange Ninja's Squire said, getting up. “And here we are talking ill about his squire. I know you talked this way about me too! Listen, it's for the best if you don't tell him, okay?”

 

“Okay..” Green Ninja's squire decided to follow her advice, even though deep down he ached to tell.

 

 

 

 

 


	2. For One So Small You Seem So Strong

Her stomach growling, the cat hunched her back and extended her claws. Behind her, two kittens snuggled together, mewed and sniffed the air. For now, their paws and noses were the only way they could experience this great, big, world.

Nearby a mother bunny nibbled some grass. Her last surviving son was snuggled into her side, his ears twitching slightly. 

The mother cat smirked and readied herself. In an instant she pounced and pinned the rabbit under her. The rabbit scrapped her back claws against the cat's cheek. She hissed and lunged her fangs towards the rabbit's neck. Thinking fast, she pushed her foot against her predator's nose and mouth. The cat backed off only for a second before trying again. She got the bunny's ear in her mouth this time, and gave her bite as much pressure as possible. Delicious blood filled her mouth. While the rabbit was in panic, she slashed her claws against her neck. The rabbit struggled a bit before becoming limp. 

Satisfied the cat licked the blood off her paws and muzzle. She looked at the baby rabbit, her next kill. Due to the mother's size, she'd have to make a separate trip for anything else. It's not like the baby rabbit was going to go anywhere, it was about the same age as her kittens. After thinking for a moment, she decided she'd take her kill back to the den, then come back for the other rabbit and babies.

Clamping the corpse firmly in her mouth, the mother cat ran off.

“Plop Plop.” The Red Ninja sighed. “For the last time, I don't think the other squires are conspiring against you.”

“I didn't say they were conspiring against me...I said they were conspiring towards all three of us!” Plop Plop clarified, gesturing to The Red Ninja, and The Messenger. 

“They're not conspiring anything, Plop Plop.” The Ninja said. “They just think the three of us hanging out together is...Odd. They think that you two are lower, and only meant to do petty tasks. To them, the thought of being friends with servants is unheard of.”

“Well it's not unheard of now if you're doing it.”

“You know what I mean. Besides me, it is unheard of .” They may have been friends, but sometimes Red Ninja had no patience with Plop Plop.

The Messenger tilted his hat slightly and just gave a gentle smile, as if to tell the ninja to calm down. Red Ninja exhaled softly and decided to stop arguing. 

“Uh, Ninja?” 

“What?” He groaned, thinking Plop Plop wanted to continue his “conspiracy” talk. To surprise when he looked up, Plop Plop was holding a baby rabbit.

“Plop Plop, put that rabbit down. It's a wild animal. I don't think it's mother will like you holding it.” Red Ninja explained.

Plop Plop frowned. “But he's bleeding.” 

The Red Ninja examined the dark red stains on his fur. His eyes widened slightly. “That's not it's blood...”

“It's not?”

“It doesn't have any visible wounds, and the blood is just on it's fur. I think...this is it's mother's blood.” Red Ninja shuddered a bit. Usually it would take a lot to bother him, but the thought that anyone would be cruel enough to kill a mother rabbit with a baby, angered him. 

The Messenger looked around and spotted the kittens snuggled together. The female lifted her head up and mewed, trying to find her mother through scent. She got off of her brother's back and managed to stumble towards The Messenger, her legs wobbling. Before she completely fell down, he caught her.

The Messenger brought the kitten to his chest to comfort her. Instantly she snuggled into the fabric of his robe, purring lightly. He smiled and pet her tiny head gently with his finger. She relaxed and nuzzled her head closer.

The Red Ninja saw the other kitten and picked him up. Unlike with Plop Plop and The Messenger, he held the cat at a slight distance. He gave out frightened mews and kicked his legs. 

“What should we do?” Plop Plop asked.

Red Ninja exhale sharply. He looked back at the terrified kitten and pulled it to his chest. He stroked his thumb from his head down his spine to comfort him. The kitten relaxed and rested his head close. “Well...We need to leave them.”

“Ninja...”

“What is wild should not be caged.” He replied, placing the kitten down. However to his surprise, the kitten sank it's claws into the fabric on his robe and mewed sadly. He may have been wild, but he was still an infant who couldn't defend himself. This conflicted with another Ninja virtue, A Ninja must never endanger the innocent, but he must always defend the defenseless. This was about as defenseless as they got. 

“However, they are vulnerable at this age, and I do not see the kittens' mother nearby.” He didn't mention the rabbit's mother, as he had a feeling from the infant's fur, she wouldn't be coming back. “Perhaps we should watch them until they are old enough to care for themselves.”

As if he understood, the kitten nuzzled closer. The Red Ninja made him feel safe and warm like his mother did.

The others seemed to feel the same way. The female kitten rested her head onto The Messenger's chest and purred softly. 

The rabbit snuggled in Plop Plop's arms as though he was in a burrow. 

“Come on, we need to get them milk.”

The three of them headed back to The Red Ninja's residence.   
“Look who finally showed up!” Scoffed The Green Ninja.

“He's 20 minutes early.” The Purple Ninja pointed out, causing his brother to glare at him.

“Yes. I would've come later, but I have a situation to deal with.” The Red Ninja started to explain.

“You.” The Green Ninja spat while glaring down Plop Plop, who narrowed his eyes angrily in response. “Why are you standing with us?” 

“Brother...” The Gray Ninja started.

However, showing their support of him, the Blue and White Ninja, stood beside the Green one, and glared Plop Plop down as well.

Awkwardly he shuffled over to the other squires. 

“Plop Plop, come here.” Red Ninja commanded. He hurried back and stood beside his ninja.

Even though it was childish, Plop Plop was scared of the others. The only time he felt truly safe around them was when he was by his ninja's side. In fact he was rarely apart from him. The Red Ninja knew that their friendship had become a thing of ridicule between the ninjas and squires, and thus had become pretty protective of him. In fact, he refused to let Plop Plop sleep in the squire quarters because of this, instead he slept in his room with him. Being occasionally teased with “Don't do what Orange Ninja did with his squire to yours!” was a lot better than sleeping in a room of eight others constantly,openly, judging you.

“How are they so close?” The White Ninja's squire mumbled to himself.

“I don't know. Those ninjas are horrible!” Sneered Blue Ninja's squire.

White Ninja's squire's eyes widened. “Shh! We're going to get in trouble!”

“They're too busy with the red one, we're fine.” 

The Green Ninja's squire balled his fists tightly. He hated Plop Plop. “I should be the one that close with my ninja! I love mine!”

“You don't think they're fooling around?” The Orange Ninja's squire asked.

“No. They'd have to be in love to think of doing that, and they're obviously not!” Green Ninja's Squire fumed.

“Maybe love has nothing to do with it, wouldn't you agree?” The Blue Ninja's squire asked as he looked to The Orange Ninja's.

Her face went pale suddenly and she tried to hide her face. After Orange Ninja dumped her, they welcomed her back with open arms, although....Sometimes those arms seemed to be closed.

 

“What do you mean by that?” The Yellow Ninja's Squire asked innocently. 

“Ignore him.” The Orange Ninja's Squire managed to find her voice. “And promise me something.”

“What is it?”

“Promise me....Promise that before you do anything like I did, that the person you're with truly loves you.” The Orange Ninja said.

“She's only 12, should we be having this talk now?” The Gray Ninja's Squire questioned.

“Trust me, it's important.” She replied.

 

At the same time that conversation was taking place, the ninjas were talking:

“Plop Plop, come here.” Red Ninja commanded. 

The Green Ninja rolled his eyes. He then looked at The Messenger. “And why are you here? Have you brought messages?”

“Brother please-” Purple Ninja started, but was faced by Green Ninja's palm.

“I think it's a valid question.” The White Ninja said.

The Messenger gave them an empty look and just held the kitten closer to his chest.

“We don't have time for this.” Red Ninja said. “We have something else to deal with.”

The Ninjas gave him a glance, as if to ask what needed dealing with. Carefully, he lifted the squirming kitten up to them.

“You got a cat?” The Gray Ninja asked.

“We found two actually, and a rabbit.” He explained. “I don't know when they last ate, so I'm going to give them milk.”

“Then go find a cow, because we're not letting you waste our milk on a bunch of wild animals.” Green Ninja said.

“Isn't it our job to defend the defenseless?” The Purple Ninja asked.

“....Well yes, but...” The Green Ninja stumbled for a moment. “But...this is different!”

“How so?”

“Well...”

“Just go.” The White Ninja said to his brother.  
The Red Ninja,Plop Plop, and The Messenger entered the house and went to the kitchen.

“Why'd you let them through?” Green Ninja asked.

“We shouldn't argue over such trivial matters.” He explained. “Besides, he upsets easily, and I don't want to deal with that currently.”

“I see...Should we wait for him or start training now?”

“He's too busy with that darn cat, he probably won't even join us when it's time to start. Lets just go on without him.” Blue Ninja suggested.

 

The Red Ninja pulled out the bucket of milk and poured some into a small dish. He carefully picked up the kitten and gently lowered his muzzle to the bowl. The young cat recognized the scent of milk and lapped up the milk as best as he could.

Plop Plop and The Messenger soon followed suit with their animals.

“So uh...what are we gonna call these little guys?” Plop Plop asked.

“Plop Plop, they're wild animals, we can't name them or we might get attached.” The Red Ninja said.

“How are we going to tell them apart then?” Plop Plop asked.

“Fine. To tell them apart, we'll give them names.”

“I'm gonna name this little guy Oswald.” Plop Plop said, snuggling the bunny close.

The Red Ninja bit his lip. Oswald wasn't the greatest name in his mind, but he didn't want to say so out loud. 

“Now her.” Plop Plop said, pointing to the female kitten, nestled close to The Messenger's chest. “How about we call her, Howard?”

The Messenger looked down at her. Howard was a pretty name, but, “Ortensia.”

“Now, that one.” Plop Plop said, pointing to the last animal.

First Ninja held the kitten up and examined him. He had some milk on his nose and muzzle. He thought for a moment, staring at the now relaxed kitten. He wanted to give him a proper name.

“Julius.”


	3. The Cats and The Rabbit's in a Cradle

The ninjas sat down,having a meal, worn out from training. Nearby their squires were eating a more humble meal, composing of mainly rice and vegetables, with only a few chunks of meat.

“I wonder if he's still busy with those wild animals.” Green Ninja said, taking a bite of food.

“Probably. Those things don't deserve our protection.” The Blue Ninja snarled.

“I agree. It's a waste of time that could be used protecting the village.” The White Ninja added.

“Can we just have one meal where we're not belittling our brother?” The Purple Ninja asked. “How much more can we say about him?”

The Yellow Ninja nodded in agreement. The Gray Ninja just took a small sip of water. 

Orange Ninja gave a glance to his squire, before quickly looking away. She'd caught his look and sighed.

“I know I shouldn't, but, I keep wondering...What if....What if he never broke up with me?”

“Then you wouldn't be welcomed around us!” The Blue Ninja's squire snapped.

The Orange Ninja's Squire was taken aback by his reply.

 

The Yellow Ninja wrapped her arms around her and rested her forehead on her shoulder. Orange Ninja's squire was on the verge of tears. “It's okay...it's okay...He didn't mean it.”

“Yes I did.”

Yellow Ninja's squire frowned and hugged her fellow squire more. “I'm sure if you stayed together, everything would be great. You'd get married on a sunny day, and have many children.”

The Orange Ninja's squire bit her lip, but forced herself to smile for the young one's sake. They both knew how it would really be....

She's your squire, she's lower than you! 

You can't marry her, that's not her purpose!

Her job is to serve you, not kiss you!

The tears started trickling, blurring her vision. The Yellow Ninja's squire used the sleeve of her robe to dry her eyes.

“I just wish I knew what it was like to be loved back.” Green Ninja's squire said. 

“Trust me, it's not worth it.” She grumbled.

“I don't think that's the best thing to teach the young one.” The Gray Ninja's squire said.  
“Yeah, she's got a whole lot of other stuff to worry about at her age!” The Purple Ninja's squire said, trying to lighten the mood. As she said this, she pulled The Yellow Ninja's squire into her lap and gave her a slight noogie. She laughed and hugged the older squire.

 

The Red Ninja, Plop Plop, and The Messenger exited the home and joined the others outside.

“Plop Plop?”

The Red Ninja's squire stopped and looked at The Yellow Ninja's Squire. He wasn't sure if he was scared of her or not. Heck he wasn't sure if she even hated him, or was just following along with what the other squires did. “Y-yeah?”

“Can I pet your bunny?” She asked, her eyes shining with childhood wonder. Plop Plop wondered how she could still be so innocent. She was orphaned so young and basically given into a life of servitude. Despite all this, she still could show her child side.

“S-sure.” He was still hesitant as he leaned down to her. She smiled and pet the rabbit. Oswald lifted his head slightly and sniffled, then licked her hand. 

“That tickles!” She giggled. He then rubbed his head against her palm.

Plop Plop smiled a bit, becoming more comfortable. “Yeah, his na-”

The other squires walked over, taking away any sense of comfort Plop Plop had.

The Orange Ninja's squire pulled The Yellow Ninja's Squire close, and gave Plop Plop a slight glare. He stumbled back a step, holding Oswald close.

“I just wanted to pet the rabbit.” She said.

“Probably not a good idea.” The Gray Ninja's Squire said, looking at Plop Plop from the corner of his eye. “That thing's wild, we can't trust it.”

“And it's probably gross and disease ridden.” The Blue Ninja's squire sneered while squinting angrily at him.

“And it has funny ears too!” The Purple Ninja's squire teased.

“And it's not like it'll take your feelings into account...I doubt it even understands feelings, like love.” Grumbled Green Ninja's Squire.

The Red Ninja came over and cleared his throat, getting the squire's attention. 

The White Ninja's squire shuddered slightly. The Blue Ninja's squire scoffed and grumbled something crude under his breath. The Orange Ninja's squire pulled the Yellow Ninja's squire into a tight,protective,hug. The Green Ninja's squire glared at them. The Purple Ninja's squire gave an awkward smile and small wave. The Gray Ninja's squire darted his eyes away.

“Plop Plop.” The Red Ninja said. Plop Plop went to his side and then joined him with the other ninjas.

“It's a pretty cute cat.” The Purple Ninja said, petting it slightly.

“I guess...” The Green Ninja grumbled. “But, it still took some of our milk away.”

“It's only until they're old enough to be on their own.” The Red Ninja explained, pulling the kitten close again. “They were alone and helpless, they could have perished if we didn't help.”

“If you're keeping it to protect rather than as a pet, then that is all right.” The Yellow Ninja said. Not that he opposed to the idea of a pet, but, sometimes things like this didn't work out. Sometimes, even if you really care, the universe doesn't, and forced away any possibility of it working.

“If it claws any of my good robes though, so help me, I'll do something very un Ninja like.” Warned The Blue Ninja.

The White Ninja didn't say anything, but had his arms folded together. He looked away and let out small, annoyed, noises. 

The Gray Ninja pet the cat and smiled lightly. His hand brushed against his brother's hand, causing himself great discomfort. He pulled his hand away and scooted back to his other brothers.

The Orange Ninja was pondering how many kittens he would father, once he was full grown and once again wild. 

The Messenger held Ortensia close and pet her. She had a soft, innocent purr. At this point in her life, nothing mattered; she had to someone to care for her and keep her safe. He feared for when she was old enough to hear the cruel words the ninjas and their squires said. Would they chastise her too?

…..........

That night the ninjas the squires entered their home. The Messenger smiled and tipped his hat in 'Good Night' to Red Ninja and Plop Plop.

The squires eyed Plop Plop as he walked past the squire quarters into The Red Ninja's room. They then all shuffled into their quarters.

The Yellow Ninja's squire sat next to The Orange Ninja's squire, who brushed her hair gently. She smiled and snuggled close to her pseudo mother. She didn't dare call her “Mom” though. She'd made the mistake of thinking of some one as a father, and then had it made clear she was only a servant to him. She was afraid if she called this squire “mom”, she'd reply that they were only fellow squires and nothing more.

“You have such soft hair.” She smiled as she brushed it. With each stroke she felt the worries of her past go away. She swore she'd never get this close to anyone again, but this girl was different. She needed a parental figure in her life, someone of her own social level to care for her. She wasn't sure if she'd hit a sore spot by calling her “Daughter” and decided to keep these motherly thoughts to herself.

“Thank you.” The Yellow Ninja's squire yawned. She leaned her head on the older squire's chest and fell asleep. The Orange Ninja's squire smiled and kissed her forehead before drifting off as well.

The Green Ninja's squire pulled out a picture hidden under his bedding and got to work on his art. Every night he'd worked a bit more on his portrait of his love. He added a new strokes to the outline of his nose and sighed a bit. Gently he pressed his lips onto the canvas and put it under his bed. It had taken him years to get this piece to the state it was in, as he could often only work for minutes at a time before his feelings hit him. At this point he just hugged his knees and tried to sleep.

The Blue Ninja's squire was secluded by choice in the corner, as usual.

Unlike most paper houses around Norrisville, this house was made of finely manicured wood. However this squire's part of the room had rotting wood that seemed to be the feeding ground for termites.

He picked up the scythe by his bed and scrapped it against the wall, it was his way to relieve stress. He had carved some pretty nasty things about his ninja on the wall, things The Orange Ninja's squire tried to shield The Yellow Ninja's squire from.

 

“Did you see the way Plop Plop was holding that rabbit?” The Purple Ninja's squire asked the Gray Ninja's squire between giggles. “I think the thing was trying to hop away, but he was holding him too tight!”

The Gray Ninja's squire managed a small giggle. “I bet it was. What do you think he'll use that rabbit for? A friend?”

The Purple Ninja's Squire laughed. “Maybe. Then he can have three friends!”

The White Ninja's squire sat in the corner listening to the joking as he hugged his knees. He was as close to the corner of the wall as possible. Even though he knew he was safe here, he was so scared. He looked over at The Blue Ninja's squire, holding the scythe.

Hesitantly he walked over. “H-hey...um...C-can...can I....s-sleep with you...a..again?”

Blue Ninja's squire sighed in annoyance and rolled his eyes slightly. “All right, fine. However, this is the last time.”

“Didn't you say that last time?” The Purple Ninja's squire teased. 

“Shut up.” He said, however there was a certain playfulness to his tone. 

He tackled her down and they both laughed. The Purple Ninja's squire managed to pin him down. He smirked and pushed her off, but she managed to pin him again.

The White Ninja's squire sat in the corner, biting his lip slightly. He locked eyes with The Gray Ninja's squire, and nervously looked away. Gray Ninja's squire kept looking though and smiled lightly.

After a few minutes of wrestling, the Purple Ninja's squire won. Blue Ninja's squire went back to his corner to sleep.   
White Ninja's squire scooted as close as possible and wrapped his arms around him, then rested his head on his chest. He had no name for what he felt, but whatever it was, it was strong. Maybe he was just impressed with how bold he was, and how unafraid of his ninja he was. That may have been partly true, but he still felt something more. 

He hesitated to call it “love”,because he didn't fully understand what love was. Was it fooling around and then abandoning them? Was it giving someone gifts and hanging out with them, and then leaving them? He wasn't sure. So all he did was rest his head on The Blue Ninja's squire's chest and fell asleep.

…...................

The Red Ninja and Plop Plop both got into the single bed, holding their new animals close. Oswald burrowed into Plop Plop's chest, while Julius rested his head in the crook of Red Ninja's neck.

Plop Plop pet Oswald's ears gently. “Aren't they cute?”

“I suppose so, but remember, this is only a temporary situation. Once they are old enough, they will return to the wild.”

Plop Plop frowned a bit, but he knew it was probably for the best. “Right...”

Julius's purr deepened, then he started licking Red Ninja's cheek, and mewed softly. The Red Ninja didn't want to get attached, but he held the kitten to his chest. He rested his paw onto his hand and licked it.

Plop Plop laid close to The Red Ninja, as the bed was pretty small. His forehead touched his chest quite a bit. To make enough room, Red Ninja pulled him into a hug. This is how they slept every night, and for Plop Plop's case, it was better than the alternative. 

Not to say they didn't enjoy the closeness. Plop Plop hugged back tightly and inhaled his friend's scent. Surprisingly he smelled kind of sweet. He snuggled closer as Red Ninja stroked his back gently. He felt his squire relax as he fell asleep.

He smiled lightly and fell asleep too, the two animals snuggling close.

…...................

The Messenger sat in his small home, petting the kitten in his lap. Oretensia purred lightly. He smiled and continued petting her.

She mewed and snuggled into his chest. Carefully he placed her on the bed.

Even though she couldn't hear yet, he decided to tell her a story, one he'd make up as he went along:

A group of wild hounds gathered in a clearing  
While high noon was nearing  
The two Alphas stood large and proud  
And let out howls oh so loud  
The Betas and Omegas barked in joy  
to their leaders who were very coy

 

In the crowd stood a dog  
Whom was the brown color of a hog  
Her fur shaggy and wet  
She was quite unkempt  
Omega was what she was assigned   
It suited her just fine  
She loved to run, skip, and play  
It's how she spent her day

Off to hunt they go  
Out through the deep snow  
Our lady sent off with a group of others  
Some Betas, her brothers  
Blood is thicker than water  
So they allowed her squatter  
As she chased animals for a thrill  
With never an intention to kill

However a chase with a hare as white as bone  
Left the hound all alone  
What she saw next gave her a scare  
Alas it was no hare  
What frightened this poor dog?  
Why, it was a noble hog!

His tusks white and shiny  
He gazed upon the dog who became whiny  
He lowered his head  
The dog thought she'd sure be dead  
However the boar wanted peace  
And fear from the dog found release

The idea of taking him down  
Made her mentally frown  
If she hunted him for dinner  
We should even be a winner?

Slowly she arched her back  
Anticipating an attack  
The boar hadn't leapt  
So forward she stepped  
Light on her toes  
She licked his nose  
The boar was confused  
But more than anything was amused  
There was something odd about this dog  
Being nice to him, a hog

Instead of trying to take him on  
She played, but not to con.  
She wanted a friend  
Someone to be there till the end

The boar didn't delay   
And they both started to play   
Through the grass they skipped  
Around the forest was quite a trip

There was wonder in their eyes  
But they were in for a surprise  
There on the forest's hood  
The dog's brothers stood  
They urged her to stop her play  
And instead take down down her prey  
The dog barked out a “No”  
Her brothers forced her to go

To the Alphas they brought her  
The others licked their bloody paws from slaughter  
They brothers told what they saw  
And the Alpha's cool demeanor started to thaw  
Then they both started to pounce  
Pinning her like she weighed an ounce  
Her brothers stood in shock  
As her head was hit against a rock

Soon was the end of the fray  
And the Omega ran way  
Her ears were torn  
And strung like a thorn  
There was blood on paws  
Those Alphas were the cause  
Her legs were dragging  
Her tail sagging  
She thought this was the end   
Until she ran into her friend

Like she'd done before  
Her nose was licked by the boar  
He took her to lay down  
His mouth plastered with a frown  
He asked how she was hurt  
her story she started to blurt

 

The boar was furious   
His friend being hurt made him near delirious   
Them he wanted to gore  
But the dog stopped the boar

“We need peace” she said  
“Or we could end up dead”  
The boar hesitantly agreed  
And together they flee

Back to the clearing they go  
Running through the snow  
The Alphas snarled at them below  
They didn't let their fear show  
The dog stepped forward and she begun  
Simply she stated “We are one”

The animals looked around  
With this new knowledge found  
They gathered around the dog  
And around her new friend the hog  
The Alphas invited them them a top  
And through the wind their ears would flop

Life would be a lot more fun  
Now that they knew We are one

 

Ortensia couldn't hear the story, but she enjoyed the vibrations from his voice on her paws and stomach. The Messenger was proud of this story and decided to write it down. He grabbed a scroll and inked the story.

…..........................

The next day the Ninjas gathered for training.

“Don't think you're getting out of training today.” The Green Ninja said.

“I didn't say I was going to skip today.” The Red Ninja said. “Yesterday those animals needed help, now we have things figured out. Plop Plop has agreed to watch over Julius for me.”

Nearby sat Plop Plop and The Messenger, holding the three animals. Oswald was nestled into Plop Plop's lap, and Ortensia was nuzzling against The Messenger's chest. Julius was mewing and sniffing the air, looking for The Red Ninja.

The squires looked over at them, some looking disgusted. The Yellow Ninja's squire wasn't sure what to feel, her lips were pursed. The Orange Ninja's squire was stroking her back and glaring at them. White Ninja's squire hugged his knees nervously. The Blue Ninja's squire was glaring. The Purple Ninja's squire was making bunny ears with her arm, causing The Gray Ninja's squire to laugh. The Green Ninja's squire was too focused on his ninja to care about the animals

 

The Ninjas,suited up, gathered in a circle to begin training. The Red Ninja felt any amount of dread he usually felt around them, vanish. Training and patrol were the only times he felt like he was truly part of the team, or even felt like he was their brother.

The nine of them begun fighting. 

 

The Yellow Ninja has taken off guard when The Orange Ninja rammed him from the side. He fell, but managed to grab onto him. Both on the ground, they aimed their punches for the face. Yellow Ninja managed to pin him, until Orange Ninja kneed his stomach, causing him to roll off. The Orange Ninja grabbed his brother's wrist tightly and began to twist. However, it wasn't his dominant hand, so Yellow Ninja managed to punch back. Their fray ended up staying on the ground, with loose punches and hits.

The White Ninja and The Blue Ninja were being much more rough on each other. They shoved each other, kicked shins, and pulled each others hair. Out of all the other ninjas, they were the toughest fighters. If any of them were going to be hurt badly during training, it was usually one of them.

 

The Purple Ninja and The Gray Ninja seemed to be fencing with their fists. They each blocked the others shots with their wrists. When one tried be sneaky and take a shot to the face, they quickly moved their wrists to shield themselves.

 

The Red Ninja stared down his brother, The Green Ninja. They both bowed, as per usual, before beginning the fight.

The Red Ninja studied his brother's movements carefully. As he charged forward, Red Ninja stepped out of the way causing him to fall.

“How did you do that?” Green Ninja asked, dusting himself off as he got up.

“I studied your movements. You were coming at me straight on, and you wouldn't have enough time to turn, so I stepped out of the way.” Red Ninja explained simply. “Your center of balance also-”

Off to the side, Julius mewed loudly, trying to find The Red Ninja. He looked over to see Plop Plop and The Messenger both stroking the kitten's back, trying to calm him down.

“Excuse me for a moment brother.”

Green Ninja rolled his eyes. “Darn cat...”

As soon as The Red Ninja made contact with the kitten, he stopped mewing and began purring and nuzzling his cheek. Red Ninja exhaled sharply and stroked down his back. Julius extended his tiny claws and held tightly onto his Ninja suit. The Red Ninja adjusted Julius so he was cradling him close.

 

“Hey! I said you're not bailing on training today!” Green Ninja snapped.

“I'm not.” Red Ninja replied harshly. “I'm just trying to calm Julius down.”

“....You named it?”

“Yes. It's easier to refer to them with names.” He explained simply. He wanted to push away any attachment he had to the kitten. Julius was wild at heart, and soon he'd be free again.

“Just get back here.”

The Red Ninja tried to put Julius down, but his claws were stuck tightly in. “Plop Plop, I require assistance.”

“He's doing work for once.” Grumbled Blue Ninja's squire.

Plop Plop gave him a brief glare before going over to his Ninja. He tried to pry the mewing kitten's paws off of him.

“I have an idea.” Red Ninja said, removing his mask. He put it to Julius's nose level, allowing him to smell it. He sank his claws into it instead, and purred while rubbing his cheek against the fabric.

Pleased, The Red Ninja returned to his brother.

“Well...I mean...I could have told you to do that...”

….....................................

“Daddy?” 

“Yes, Ortensia?” The Messenger answered her.

“Can you tell me the story about the dog and the boar again?” She asked sweetly while swinging her legs back and fourth.

The Messenger smiled lightly and pulled her close. “All right. Just like every night?”

Oretensia giggled. “Yes, daddy. Just like every night.”

As her father got up to get the scroll with the story, the cat smoothed out her skirt with her paws, and fixed the crooked flower on her hat.

The Messenger cleared his throat and started the story, “A group of wild hounds gathered in a clearing  
,while high noon was nearing.”

She listened carefully, eyes wide in wonder as if this was the first time she'd ever heard the story. With him she repeated the last lines, “The animals looked around, with this new knowledge found.  
They gathered around the dog, and around her new friend the hog. The Alphas invited them them a top,  
and through the wind their ears would flop. Life would be a lot more fun, now that they knew We are one.”

…........

“I'm gonna get you!” Julius laughed as he chased Oswald around the room. Oswald pulled his ears down and stuck his tongue out at the kitten. He smirked and chased the rabbit some more. “Got'cha!”

He looked down at Oswald and laughed. “Pinned ya!”

Oswald giggled as he rubbed his back paw against Julius's cheek. He lowered his head and was about to lick his neck. Oswald's foot was lowering and he gently nudged his friend's nose and mouth. Julius back off for a moment, before pouncing forward and grabbing Oswald's ear. He bit down lightly and gave a gentle tug, resting his paws onto his neck.

“All right, it's bed time.” The Red Ninja said. 

“Aww...Can't we play a little bit longer?” Julius asked, giving him kitty-cat eyes. 

Red Ninja smirked. “Come now Julius,you know that doesn't work on me.”

“Aww, it works on me little guy.” Plop Plop said.

“Plop Plop....”

“Fine.” He sighed. “You two have to go to bed.”

Julius and Oswald got into bed, grumbling while doing so. Red Ninja and Plop Plop got into the bed and held their respective animals close.

“Good night.” Julius purred, nuzzling the Ninja's chin, and then resting his head into the crook of his neck.

“Good night.”

“Good night!” Oswald said, licking Plop Plop's cheek.

“Night.”

The Red Ninja held Julius close to his chest. Tomorrow was the day they were being put back into the wild. He knew this day was coming, but for some reason he wasn't ready to let him go. He reminded himself though that Julius was wild, and thus shouldn't be caged.

Why couldn't his heart accept this?

….....

Early the next morning, The Messenger, Plop Plop, and The Red Ninja, brought their animals together.

“Hey Ortensia!” Julius greeted his sister.

“Hey Julius!” She replied cheerfully. Then she caught sight of Oswald and blushed, her ears folded back slightly. “H-Hey Oswald.”

“H-hi Ortensia..”

The Messenger smirked lightly and slightly nudged her shoulder.

“Daddy. She said, slightly embarrassed. 

The Red Ninja pursed his lips at what she called The Messenger. He cleared his throat and addressed them, “We have cared for you for many months in the confides of our houses. However, now you are free to go off on your own.”

Plop Plop was chocking back tears, while The Messenger looked solemn, and Red Ninja was holding back any emotion.

Julius tilted his head, puzzled. “What do you mean?”

“You are free.” The Red Ninja repeated, confused by his reaction.

“.....We don't wanna go...” Julius said. “We wanna stay with you.”

“You do?” The Red Ninja was surprised. They were wild, and what is wild shouldn't be caged, yet they seemed fine with it. Why hadn't he considered this before? The fact they might get attached to them. He looked back at the animals.

“Daddy?” Ortensia sniffled. “Y-you're not going to leave us...are you?”

Red Ninja watched hesitantly as The Messenger crouched down and hugged her tightly. “No,no, I won't leave you. I promise.”

Oswald's ears folded down sadly. Plop Plop frowned and also leaned down to him and stroked one of his ears. Oswald hugged him and cried into his chest. The squire stroked his back gently.

Julius looked hurt, his ears and tail drooping, looking defeated. The Red Ninja looked away for a moment before looking back.

“I apologize. I didn't account for the fact you might want to stay with us.” Red Ninja said. “If you wish to stay then...you may.”

Julius smiled. “Thanks Ninja.”

Lightly The Red Ninja smiled. He didn't realize until this point how happy Julius made him.


	4. Like Rabid Dogs of War

The Red Ninja,Plop Plop,Julius, and Oswald, were walking through the village. They had been given grocery duty and were going to the various vendors.

The Green Ninja rushed over, panting out of breath, “Brother, we have a problem.”

“Is the problem me being with my squire?” He asked somewhat harshly. “He is actually doing work this time.”

“No, it-”

“Or is it Julius and Oswald? You know they depend on us. What is wild should be caged does not apply, due to-”

“No!” He yelled. “That!”

Green Ninja pointed to a cloud of what looked like green smoke rising above the horizon. Red Ninja's eyes widened. 

He turned to his three companions. “Plop Plop, please go to the squire quarters.”

“But they'll-”

“Plop Plop.” He exhaled sharply. “I know it's not ideal, but, it's the safest.”

Plop Plop frowned as he gripped Oswald and Julius's paws and headed off.

The Red Ninja found a private place to change into his Ninja suit. He then gathered with his brothers.

…...  
Plop Plop nervously entered the home, gripping the two animal's paws tightly, his palms sweaty. When he entered the squire quarters, the squires were huddled together, shuddering in fear. 

Orange Ninja's squire was holding Yellow Ninja's squire in her lap. The White Ninja's squire was squished between The Blue Ninja's squire, and The Gray Ninja's squire, hugging his knees tightly. Blue Ninja's squire tried to keep his composure, while Gray Ninja's squire was leaning against a frightened  
Purple Ninja's squire. The Green Ninja was holding his art close to his chest, as if he were actually hugging the Ninja himself.

“P-Plop Plop?” The Yellow Ninja's squire squeaked out. The others looked up, and saw the sheepish squire standing here, a rabbit and cat in tow.

“Did your Ninja finally get sick of you?” The Blue Ninja's squire asked. 

Plop Plop narrowed his eyes, “No, as a matter of fact he didn't. I'm sure you noticed that green smoke, haven't you? Or maybe you've just been too busy being jerks to me to notice?”

“Hey, watch it!” Blue Ninja's squire warned.

“Or what? You'll ignore me? Good!”  
“You're just trying to anger me, aren't you?”

“...Actually yes, I am.”

The Blue Squire glared even harder. 

“I-I won't let you t-talk to him l-like that.” The White Ninja's squire squeaked out.

“And why not? He talks to me like that all the time.”

The White Ninja's squire stumbled back. The Gray Ninja's squire stepped forward.

“You need to stop.” He said. 

“I agree.” The Purple Ninja's squire said, joining his side. Blue Ninja's squire stepped beside her, followed by White Ninja's squire. Hesitantly, The Orange Ninja's squire joined as well, with Yellow Ninja's squire in tow. Then finally, The Green Ninja's squire.

“Wait, you're calling him out for calling you out?” Oswald asked, stepping forward. “That's literally all you do to him!”

“Stay out of this Big Ears.” The Purple Ninja's squire said.

“Oh right, I'm Big Ears.” Oswald said, stroking one of those said ears. “Well you know what these big ears of mine are good for? Hearing! I can hear you guys talking every night about how much you guys hate Plop Plop, and I'm sick of it! All of you are just jealous!”

He approached The Green Ninja's squire, “You. You love your ninja, right?”

He glared and crossed his arms. “It's none of your business bunny-boy.”

“Well, I've managed to pick up your problem. You, actually you and her,” He pointed to The Orange Ninja's squire, “Both think it's love and you're jealous. You two can't grasp what love actually is. One of you doesn't get that you shouldn't waste time on some one who is nothing but cruel to you, and the other one doesn't understand that if he leaves you because he fears for his social stature, he didn't actually love you!”

“He did love me!” The Orange Ninja's squire spat.

“Then why aren't you with him right now?”

The Orange Ninja's squire frowned and stepped back. Green Ninja's squire stepped in front of her. 

“You have no right to talk to her that way!”

“And you have no right to talk to Plop Plop that way!”

“Oswald...” Plop Plop didn't know how to finish his thought.

“It's okay...It's okay...” The Yellow Ninja's squire said, comforting Orange Ninja's squire, hugging her tightly. She looked over to Oswald, expecting scolding as well.

Oswald stepped forward, this time his voice was gentle. “Hey,...it's okay...You're not bad, I can see that. You're just following their example aren't you?”

“I...I...”

“You don't have to answer him.” The Orange Ninja's squire said, pulling her close. “This rabbit has to mind his own business.”

“You insult Plop Plop all the time, this is my business!”

“Long ears, please calm down.” The Purple Ninja's squire pleaded. 

“Long ears...Big ears....Buck tooth.....You're not really creative are you?” Oswald chuckled. “You call me those things, but, how are they insults? I have long, big, ears, and buck teeth. That would be like if I called you “Purple girl” ”

 

“Well, I mean, yeah, you do have big ears, and I'm calling attention to that.” She explained.

“And? How is that funny?”

“....”

“Exactly.”

The Gray Ninja stepped forward. “I don't think you understand what she meant. She's trying to use an insecurity to-”

“I'm not insecure about my ears. My ears are great!”

 

“Y-y-you don't have the...the right...the right to....t-talk to u-us l-like that.” White Ninja's squire squeaked out.

“But you have the right to talk about Plop Plop like that?” Oswald asked, tapping his foot slightly to subside his anger. 

“You don't understand any of us!” The Blue Ninja's squire yelled. “You can't understand any of the things we've been through!”

“I understand that you're jealous Plop Plop gets along with his ninja.” 

“That's not even the half of it!” He yelled. “That would have been my life!”

“Wait...what?” Oswald's confidence halted.

“Have you ever questioned why my robes are red and his are blue?” 

“I....”

“I was supposed to be his squire, not Plop Plop! If it weren't for the Ninjas' stupid father, who saw their stupid friendship and decided they should be a pair! If...if he didn't....change our roles, then...then maybe....Maybe I could have been the happy one. I mean, I'd be tormented non stop, but, it wouldn't matter! I'd be happy!”

Plop Plop frowned and approached him. “I'm sorry, but it's not like I told him to do that. I would've been fine being his friend, but not his squire.”

The Blue Ninja's squire softened. “Really?”

“Yeah. Why would I want you to be forced away from your Ninja like that?”

“Because you two are 'Super Duper best friends forever'” He said, sounding like his usual angry self once more.

Julius stepped forward. “Whatever is going on, this needs to stop.”

The squires were surprised Red Ninja's pet would step up. Red Ninja had been clear he didn't want to be involved with the squire's gossip, except making sure Plop Plop stayed clear of them. His cat standing up to them was almost the same as if he'd done it.

“It's obvious you've all been through some hard things, everyone has. I agree with Oswald, do you think making Plop Plop's life miserable will make yours better?”

“Actually, no.” The Yellow Ninja's squire said, stepping forward. The Orange Ninja's squire's eyes widened as she walked towards them. “I don't think anything bad of him.”

“You don't?” Plop Plop asked.

The girl shook her head. “But, my mother, she....I-I mean...”

“Mother?” The Orange Ninja's squire asked stepping towards her. “Did you call me...'Mother'?”

“I'm sorry...It just slipped, I didn't-”

The Orange Ninja's squire hugged her tightly and cried happily. “I-I've seen you as a daughter for the longest time. I-I just didn't think that you....that you thought of me as a mother.”

“Mother!” The younger squire said happily, tightening the hug.

“Aw, isn't that the sweetest?” The Purple Ninja's squire cooed. 

“Yes, it is.” The Gray Ninja's squire smiled.

“She doesn't need a no good, messy haired,filthy, stupid ninja as her dad.” Purple Ninja's squire said, “She has some one who knows how to love!”

 

“Insulting the ninjas isn't going to do much either.” Julius said. 

 

“But they deserve it.” Argued The Green Ninja's squire.

“Why?”

“They don't treat us right!”

“As with being mean to Plop Plop, this won't help either. They're not going to change unless you put effort into trying to get along with them.” Julius explained.

“B-but...I-I don't w-w-wanna get hit a-again..” Whimpered The White Ninja's squire. 

Julius frowned and approached him. He got on his tip toes and put his paw on his shoulder. “No, you're an exception to this suggestion What he's doing to you is not okay.”

White Ninja's squire sniffled before embracing the cat. “I-I d-d-don't h-hate The...The R-red Ninja or Pl-Plop Plop. I-I was s-s-so afraid that i-if I stood up for them, I-I'd get b-beaten by the others.”

The squires looked hurt that he'd assume such a thing.

“I-I d-don't have m-much reason t-to h-hate R-red Ninja....H-h-he's actually r-r-really n-nice. H-he's h-helped me before.”

“Helped you? How? When?” The Gray Ninja's squire asked.

“It was about a year ago......”

The White Ninja's squire laid on the ground in blood stained robes as his ninja looked down at him,scowling. 

“You idiot! You dare ask for more food? You know we barely have enough to go around, having to feed you ungrateful,lower,vile,squires!”

The White Ninja’s squire closed his eyes as he shook violently. Gentle drops of rain grazed against his face. When they trickled off his chin, they had a slight pinkish pigment. 

A sudden rumble of thunder caused his to open his eyes. The squire’s vision was slightly blurred, but he saw smudges of black. It was a Ninja.

He whimpered as he backed up closer to the wall he’d been pinned against moments before. His Ninja had obviously come back to beat him more. “I-I-I’m s-s-so-sor-sorry...I-”

“You’re hurt.”

In surprise of a worried tone he looked up. This wasn’t his Ninja, this was The Red Ninja…..The Outcast Ninja.

“Did my brother harm you again?”

The squire remained silent.

Taking this as a “Yes”, The Red Ninja knelt next to him. “Plop Plop!”

His own squire hurried over. He was indifferent until he caught sight of The White Ninja’s squire, then he frowned worriedly. Sure he was often rude to the pair, but he didn’t deserve the beatings he regularly got.

“Get the medical kit.” Red Ninja commanded. The White Ninja’s squire looked up in wonder. He’d never heard so much authority in The Red Ninja’s voice. He’d assumed it was just a friendship rather than an actual, functional, Ninja-squire dynamic. 

Plop Plop went off. The Red Ninja gently patted and stroked the squire’s back in comfort. Not knowing how much pain he was in, or how much pressure would make it worse, he just used his finger tips.

The squire managed to relax and doze off a little. 

When he heard the shuffling of feet he woke up. Plop Plop placed a basket next to his ninja.

“Plop Plop. hand me the rag.”

Plop Plop nodded and handed it to him. Red Ninja dipped it into a pail of water and wrung it out. He rubbed it against the bloody areas. Soon there were red stains dotted on it.   
White Ninja’s squire was surprised how gentle he was. Next, Plop Plop handed his Ninja some shredded fabric from an old robe.

The Ninja crossed his legs then put the injured squire’s arm in his lap. He gently tied the fabric on the wounds, not too tightly so it wouldn’t stop the blood from flowing. He did the same with his other arm, and his legs. Finally he wrapped his forehead.

The Ninja then picked him up and cradled him. The White Ninja’s squire was a bit tense. Why was this outcast ninja being so nice? He expected an outcast to be...cruel, even crueler than his ninja.

Red Ninja carried him back to The Squire’s Quarters. The squires looked up, wide eyed. They started mumbling to each other, theories bouncing around.

The Ninja knew they were judging him and stayed quiet. He stepped towards the squire’s sleeping mat and gently placed him down. The squires became quiet,

The Red Ninja gave them an emotionless glance and left.

“I remember that.” The Green Ninja’s squire said. “We assumed your ninja beat you, and that he helped you,but we didn’t realize he was so….gentle with you. Maybe we….maybe…”

“We shouldn’t have judged you from our own jealousy.” Finished The Blue Ninja’s squire. “”Plop Plop,. You should have been the one to serve your Ninja from the beginning.”

Plop Plop smiled, “Thank you.”

A moment later The Messenger entered with Ortensia, who held her father’s story close to her chest.

“Ortensia!” Oswald said. He ran over and embraced her, then gave her a peck on the cheek.

“Hello, sister.” Julius greeted.

“Hey,Julius!” Ortensia said with a small wave.

“Is that a book?” Asked The Purple Ninja’s squire.

Ortensia suddenly became shy and timid. “Well uh...it’s uh…..a story….written by…..m-my daddy.”

“Can you read it to us? It's boring having to hide and all.”

Ortensia blinked. Was this the same squire she’d known her whole life? The one who called her father, “Cat Fornicator” whenever she called him “daddy”? The same one who claimed when she kissed Oswald, she was trying to eat him? If not, who was she?

“S-sure. I’d Love to read it to you.” She said as she sat down.

“Plop Plop,Julius,Oswald.” The Blue Ninja’s Squire said. “Why don’t you join us?”

They smiled and sat down with the squires as Ortensia began.

…………………………..  
“We need to evacuate the civilians!” The White Ninja said, taking charge as usual. His brothers nodded and went off to evacuate them. 

The White Ninja came across a little girl, crying and holding her knees to her chest. As the Ninja approached he noticed she had bruises all over her arms and face. He assumed she’d been hurt by some of the shrapnel the green clouds were throwing around. However when he looked her over, he didn’t notice any shrapnel in her skin. After examining her for a while, he started to notice these weren’t fresh injuries at all, but rather ones that had gathered through the years.

How can one child be so accident prone? Doesn’t she know how to be careful? Did her parents not bother to teach her how to not do stupid things?

The girl whimpered slightly as he moved her arm around to check it. The whimpering sounded familiar, but he couldn’t understand why. He picked her up and started making his way towards the village shelter. 

The girl had a strong grip on his neck, and she hid her face into the crook of it. He could feel her tears streaking down his neck.

She’s rather emotional isn’t she? She’s safe now, she should be thrilled!

“Suzume!” Called a voice.

The White Ninja looked up, startled by the sudden yelling. A man approached them.

“Thank goodness you found my daughter, Ninja.” The man said.

As The White Ninja tried to hand Suzume over, she tightened her grip and whined.

Now she doesn’t want to go back to her father? This child is very rebellious. She deserves a good smacking.

“Suzume, you’ve already bugged the Ninja quite enough.” He said, growing impatient 

“It wasn’t a bother at all,sir.” White Ninja replied, still trying to pry the child off his neck.

“Suzume, now!” He yelled. When she didn’t comply this time, he yanked her off. Then he started hitting her.

The White Ninja smirked. Good, he’s disciplining this rebellious child.

However he just kept beating her and White Ninja frowned. Hadn’t he scolded her enough? 

Suzume looked over, her eyes wide and full of tears. She was struck again and let out a blood curdling scream. She was bloody and injured badly.

“Stop!” White Ninja yelled. When he didn't, The White Ninja intercepted them.

“I'm disciplining her for being a bad girl!”

“You can't hurt your child like that!”

“Well she's an idiot!”

The White Ninja froze. He looked at the girl with tears streaking down her face and picked her up. “You aren't fit to raise this child.”

He headed towards the shelter, leaving the man speechless. There was no way he'd challenge a ninja.

The girl sniffled and hid her face into the Ninja's chest. “T-t-thank y-y-you.”

“Of course.” His voice was gentle. “I won't let him hurt you again. I'll find someone in the shelter to care for you. All right?”

“Why can't you be my new daddy?” She snuggled closer.

“I...I wouldn't...wouldn't be an ideal father...trust me.” It was true. Caring for children was more The Red Ninja’s forte. 

“But, you saved me!”

“I know, but...You need a proper caretaker.”

They reached the shelter, and to his relief the orphanage manager was there  
.  
“Ninja.” The woman curtsied.

“This may not seem like the best time, and I do admit it is a bit unorthodox, but...will you please take this child?”

 

Suzume whimpered and hugged tighter. “Noooo!” She cried. “I wanna stay with you!”

“I've already told you, I'm not father material.” He replied as he started to pull her off. She cried as she was handed to the orphanage manager. 

As he exited he heard her cry more. He looked at his suit. Even though it was black, there were still shiny spots from blood. Most of it belonged to his squire. Was that what it looked like from the outside looking in?

Some strong wind whipped his face. The green cloud was growing. He hurried to find more civilians. 

….........  
The village was in total panic as The Blue Ninja worked on evacuating the village. The wind was increasing and things were flying everywhere. 

A small child bumped into him. His eyes were wide with panic.

“Are you all right?” The Blue Ninja asked, picking him up and hurrying away from the epicenter of the wind. The boy didn't reply and gripped onto the ninja tightly.

“I said, are you all right?” He repeated, slightly louder. The boy still didn't reply.

A bit worried, he stopped as soon as he found a place where the wind hadn't reached. He sat the child down. “Are you all right?”

He flexed his arms and clasped his hands, before lowering his hands and arms in front of him. Then he pressed his thumb to his palm and turned his hand sideways, then moved it back and forth a few times. Then he finally pointed to the Ninja, looking excited the whole time. (You're the Blue Hero!)

Ah he's Deaf. That makes sense. 

He sat down in front of the boy. He wasn't sure how they'd communicate. The boy looked too young to read, The Ninja didn't know sign, and he knew lip reading was a unreliable method.   
To reassure the boy, Blue Ninja gave him a thumbs up. The boy realized he didn’t understand sign and gave him a thumbs up back. He needed to think of how to simplify his signs. 

the Ninja watched as he did the sideways sign again, but by his face in the shape of his mask. Then the boy pointed to the Ninja. (Basically he was trying to show him his name sign, which is blue and then the shape of his mask. Since the ninja does not know ASL, the boy saw it as pointless to sign “NAME-SIGN-YOU”. He needs to simplify.)

Oh that must be my name. To confirm he pointed to himself and gave him quizzical eyebrows. The boy nodded. Then that must mean…

He pointed to this headband and did the sideways sign. The boy nodded again to confirm it indeed meant “Blue”.

He pointed the boy to ask his name. The pressed his thumb and pointer finger into an “O” shape then stroked back his hair.

The Blue Ninja copied the sign, and the boy smiled. He needed to find a way to communicate with him. He drew stick figures of a mother, father, and son in the sand. The boy added a daughter to the drawing.

The Blue Ninja pointed to the drawing and gave him quizzical eyebrows to ask where they were. The boy shrugged. Blue Ninja drew the shelter and pointed to it. The boy thought for a moment and nodded.

He took the boy’s hand and started heading to the shelter. The boy tugged at his leg and put his arms up. Blue Ninja sighed a bit and rolled his eyes as he picked the child up. He held on tightly to the Ninja.

Before heading off towards the shelter, he gave the boy a thumbs up to check if he was ready. He nodded and rested his head onto his shoulder, then closed his eyes.

Halfway to the shelter, the boy rapidly tapped his shoulder. The Ninja paused and looked at the boy. He'd placed his thumb between his pointer and middle finger and was shaking it back and forth. (Bathroom)

The Blue Ninja paused. What does he need now? Darn children, so needy. 

Expecting him to draw in the sand again, The Blue Ninja placed him down. The boy did the potty-dance (What am I, five?).

The Ninja now understood and looked around. Of course they need to go to the bathroom when there is no bathroom nearby! Why didn’t I learn Sign Language, when my outcast of a brother decided to! I could have taken a few days off of training like him and I wouldn’t be facing this problem! I mean because of that I fight better than him...Well, better than before….but now….

He sighed as he quickly drew the shelter and a chamber pot inside of it, to reassure him that there would be one when they got there. He frowned, but nodded, and put up his arms to be carried again.

Finally they had made it to the shelter. The little boy leapt from his arms and ran over to a small family who embraced him.

The Blue Ninja watched as they signed to one another,and smiled a little bit under his mask. Although he’d never say this out loud for the fear of seeming soft, he thought they were a beautiful family.

The boy pointed over to him and the small family looked. They smiled and put their hands to their chins and brought their hands forward. The Ninja managed to understand they meant “Thank you” and gave them a thumbs up to say, “You’re welcome.”

That was hard….harder than any other civilian rescue I’ve had to do. Not being able to communicate clearly made things hard...Well, not as hard as trying to get my pesky squire to do things. Sometimes it feels more like we’re speaking a different language, way more than it felt with that boy. That’s not bad, is it? I understood someone speaking a different language better than my own squire! He shouldn’t have been prissy about having to be my squire and everything would be fine! Maybe if I give him a piece of my mind about this, he’ll finally listen. Then he can actually do his job.

……….

The Yellow Ninja had lead a young lady to the shelter and was about to head off when he heard crying. Suzume was hugging her knees to her chest and sniffling.

He knelt down to her. “What’s wrong, little one?”

She looked up and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. She’d been hoping it was White Ninja, but when she saw yellow on this Ninja’s suit, she started full on sobbing once more. The Yellow Ninja frowned and patted her back softly. 

“N-no one l-l-loves me.” She cried. “A-and h-h-he didn’t w-want me a-after he s-saved me f-f-from my…..th-that mean jerk! He just took me to the orphanage lady! H-he hates me!”

“Oh, little one, I’m sure he doesn’t hate you.” The Yellow Ninja said, his stomach churning at her words. “He just wanted what was best for you.”

“I w-w-w-wan-wanted to s-s-stay with h-him! I need him!”

Yellow Ninja felt guilty and stroked her back. He pulled her into her lap and comforted her. “Shh, it’s okay, it’s okay.” 

She hugged the Ninja tightly and cried into his chest as he started stroking her hair. 

“You’re a beautiful young lady.” He said, “You remind me a lot of...my….my daughter.”

“I-I do?” She sniffled, wiping her eyes and nose. 

He nodded. “Yes. I love her more than anything, and I’m sure, soon enough, you’ll have a father who loves you that much.”

“Y-y-you really think so?”

He nodded. “I’m positive. Listen I have to leave, but can you promise me you won’t cry anymore?”

“O-okay.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

………….

The Orange Ninja looked for villagers to bring to safety. He found two women huddled together as dust from the wind was flung at them. He rushed over to them.

“Are you all right?” He asked, putting his hand out.

“I’m quite fine.” Said one of them. She turned to the other female, “Akira, are you all right?”

“Yeah, except my back hurts a little, and so do my feet, oh, and my hands are a little dry and-”

“Mai.”

“My hair is kind of a mess too, and my fingers ache, not to mention my lips are a bit chapped and-”

“Mai.”

“I might have gotten some dust in my mouth, it's rather dry, and-”

“Mai!”

“Oh, was I talking to much again, dear? Sorry, to both of you. I mean Akira is used to this, but you, great hero must not be used to all this, hm? I heard Ninjas were rather quiet, so I doubt a lot of talking goes around at your place. I could never be a Ninja because of how much I talk-”

“I'm sorry for my wife's talkative nature.” Akira interrupted. 

“It's fine.” The Orange Ninja said. “However, we need to head to the shelter and get you out of this dust.”

“Yes. I need some nice ice cold water.” Mai started. “Maybe with some ice if it's not too much a bother? Is there even water there? Oh I sure hope so. Otherwise what else would be drink? Milk perhaps? Mmm, I love milk, give me a glass of that instead. No ice though. It'll water the milk down and that's gross. Or would the melted ice be milked down? I need to-”

“Mia, sweetie,”

“Oh, sorry,Akira.” She blushed.

“It’s quite all right, darling.” Akira reassured, then gave her a kiss on the cheek. Mai giggled and blushed a bright red.

The Orange Ninja smiled. They both held hands and swung their arms back and forth as they walked. 

Occasionally Mai would go into another ramble, “I love cats, don’t you? Sometimes I see that Red Ninja with a kitty. Is he your kitty too? What’s his name? Oh, is it even a he? It could be a little girl kitty for all I know! That messenger has a female kitty and she’s adorable! Are they mates? Do they even know each other?”

“Sweetie.” Akira said, her voice sweet. 

Mai giggled, “Sorry.”

“It’s not a problem, I’ll answer your questions. Julius is my brother’s cat, that he’s raised since he was a newborn. The girl cat, um...Ortensia?....Yes, Ortensia, is his sister.”

“Aw, that’s so cute! There’s nothing cuter than my beautiful Akira though! She’s my sunshine, the light of my life, my reason for waking up! I love her so very,very much! Look how beautiful my bride is! Her hair is so silky and shiny, her eyes sparkle so brightly! And...I’m rambling again, aren’t I?”

“No, no, it’s fine, keep going.” Akira said with a small smirk. 

“Oh, so when it’s about you I can keep talking, is that how it is?” Mai teased.

“Yes.”

Mai giggled and kissed her gently.

They’re so sweet, it reminds me of...her….I shouldn’t think of her that way, she’s my squire! But...my heart doesn’t understand that. Why did she have to be my squire!? Why couldn’t she have been a civilian or better yet, a Ninja from another clan!? I love her so much, but if I show I do….

He looked back over to them. Akira was stroking the back of her wife’s hand as they walked. Both of them had wide smiles on their faces. It made his heart ache for her.

I can still feel her warmth from our nightly snuggles. I love her….I still do….My brother and his squire, they….they managed to keep a relationship of some sort despite the others. Why did I listen to them? How come their peer pressure effected me, but not him? We see him as weak, but maybe….He’s the strongest of all of us. I can’t let them limit my love anymore. 

“Are you all right?” Akira asked. “You seem kind of dazed.”

“Yes. I was just thinking some things over.” He said.

“Oh, I’m used to it, we both are. I tend to ramble on, and it annoys people, so much so they usually daze out like you did. This time I wasn’t talking though, that’s the only difference. I assume the people that zone out because of me are also thinking things over. Because sometimes we-”

Akira gave her hand a small squeeze and she stopped.

The three of them made it to a shelter.

“Thank you.” Akira said.

“Yeah, thanks! I was afraid we weren’t going to make it! Now I can clean all the dirt off my dress! It’s really, really dusty! My mother wouldn’t approve of it being this dirty! On my wedding day she got mad I got chocolate all over the front of my dress. She said, ‘Oh Mai, why didn’t we just get you a brown dress in the first place instead of having you color it brown!’ It was great wedding! All of our families were there and-”

Akira kissed her on the lips this time to stop her. However for a split moment Mai continued by mumbling into her lips, before she realized she was being kissed. Then she kissed back and embraced her lover, then deepened the kiss.

The Orange Ninja smiled before going off. He was hopeful he and his squire could get back to this point.

……

The Green Ninja,Purple Ninja, and Gray Ninja coughed as dirt filled their lungs. Their eyes were burning, but they had to help people.

There was young girl hiding her face in knees, trying to keep the dust out of her eyes. She seemed out place somehow. 

The trio approached her and she backed up a bit, panic filling her eyes.

“Are you okay?” The Gray Ninja asked gently.

“Well...y-yeah, but it’s really windy.” She said, then coughed a little.

“Come on, we’ll take you to the shelter.” The Gray Ninja said, putting his hand out. 

The girl seemed hesitant and didn’t grab it.

“What’s wrong?” Purple Ninja asked.

“Y-you’re N-n-ninjas.” She said.

“Yeah, and?” Green Ninja nearly snapped.

“Aren’t Ninjas….assassins?”

The three Ninjas looked at each other.

“Hey, we keep this village safe!” The Green Ninja snapped. 

“We don’t per say have a ‘No killing code’, but we don’t take the matter of murder lightly.” Explained The Gray Ninja.

“And we don’t have any reason to kill you.” The Purple Ninja reassured, resting his hand on her shoulder, causing her to stiffen a bit.

“Unless, you’re the one behind that green cloud!” The Green Ninja said.

“She’s just a little girl.” Gray Ninja said. “I doubt she caused this.”

“So, what’s your name?” Purple Ninja asked.

“Freddi. What’s yours?”

The Ninjas stared blankly at her, somewhat shocked she’d dare ask what their true names were.

Green Ninja was about to speak, but Gray Ninja interrupted. “Just refer to us by our color. I’m Gray Ninja, and these are my brothers, Green Ninja, and Purple Ninja.”

“You must be new if you didn’t know that.” Grumbled Green Ninja.

“Actually, yeah, I am new…Um….did you happen to see a blue book anywhere?”

“A blue book? Hmm, no, sorry.” The Gray Ninja replied.

“Darn.” She said. “Oh can you help me find someone. I’m a...sword smith apprentice and I can’t find my teacher.”

“You shouldn’t have been messing around like the child you are, and kept an eye on them.” The Green Ninja scowled.

Freddi frowned. “He went to go get something and he told me to keep watch.”

Green Ninja scowled. 

“Ignore him.” Purple Ninja said. “Come on, we’ll take you to the shelter.”

“The shelter?”

“Wow, she really is that dumb.” Green Ninja said.

“Stop it.” Warned Purple Ninja.

“Why? She’s lower than a squire. Why should I give her respect?”

Freddi looked hurt.

“Because, she is a civilian, and we need to protect her.” Purple Ninja explained. “If you could put your bias aside for one moment-”

“Oh, please. You’re one to talk about bias! I’ve heard some of the things you said about that outcast of a brother we have.”

“All I’ve ever said is it’s peculiar, but it’s none of my business what relationship they have.”

“Well you-”

“Brothers! Why don’t we get out of this wind, huh?” Gray Ninja interrupted.

Green Ninja pouted angrily, but nodded.

The four of them headed towards the shelter. The more they walked the more they noticed how out of place this girl seemed. It was almost like she was from a different time. 

“Is that an ox?” She asked excitedly as she pointed to one. “A real life ox?”

“Yes...” Purple Ninja said, a little puzzled by her reaction.

She smiled and went over to pet it. “I haven't seen a real ox before, or even a robot one for that matter!”

The Ninjas blinked in confusion.

“See, not only is this girl uneducated, but she's delusional too!” The Green Ninja argued. 

“She probably hasn't had the chance to go outside with all the work she's probably been doing.” Argued Purple Ninja. “Maybe her master hasn't taken her around the village.”

“What's a robot?” The Gray Squire asked Freddi, wanting to get away from his brothers' argument.

“Hmm? Oh uh, well it's hard to explain, but it used energy to do things. The robot oxen help us keep the grass short.” Freddi explained.

“Really? Do scythes no longer exist?”

“Scythes? Scythes....Oh, Scythes! Yeah, those have been gone a long time, we don't have them in the future.”

The future? Oh, she must have made a world in her head! Poor girl, working so hard she was to retreat to her imagination for fun....Perhaps I should play along with her.

“Because the oxen do the work?”

“Exactly!”

The Gray Ninja smiled. This girl was so innocent, and adorable.

“Hey! Are you two coming, or do you wanna stay out in the wind!?” Yelled The Green Ninja.

“Coming!” He grabbed Freddi's hand and went back to them.

“What are you doing?” The Green Ninja asked in disgust.

“I uh...”

 

“Leave him alone!” Purple Ninja said.

Green Ninja rolled his eyes, “She is lower than low, why even bother with being nice to her?”

“Because...Ugh! Because you're....you're always doing this! You're always saying people are lower than us! You've even said our own brother is lower than us, just for being friends with his squire! I'm sick of it! I've been able to look past it before, but.....This is a child! A child! And you don't think she deserves to be loved and cared for just because she's an apprentice!? We're supposed to be protecting her, not judging her! I'm done! I'm not just going to sit around and let you hate on our brother or anyone else anymore!”

“Me neither!” Gray Ninja spoke. The Green Ninja glared, causing him to back down. However when he looked to his purple brother, he found his confidence once more. “Freddi is a sweet, innocent girl, and doesn't deserve you bad mouthing her. Her master probably already does it enough!”

“Well, actually-”

“Freddi!” A man rushed over and picked her up, then twirled her around before pulling her into a hug. “There you are, I was hoping you were all right!”

“Yeah I'm fine, and I'm glad you are too! Did you find my book yet?” She asked.

“Yes, it's at the shelter waiting for you. But...do you really want to go back? You are the best apprentice I've ever had.”

“Sorry, Tetsu, but, I need to go back to 2105.” She said, frowning a bit. She'd miss him. “But, I'll use the book to visit you, I promise.”

How cute! The girl's master is in on her little game! The Gray Ninja thought.

“Wait....you care about her?” The Green Ninja asked in shock.

“Yeah, why wouldn't I?” Tetsu was puzzled.

“Because she's your apprentice, she's lower than you!”

Tetsu frowned. “No she's not. Well I mean, as an apprentice she's lower in terms of working, but she's not lower as a person. She deserves to be respected.”

“Why? What does she contribute to society?”

Tetsu looked offended he'd say such a thing about his apprentice. “Well, what do you contribute?”

“I protect the village all the time! Do you see my lowlife of a squire doing this? No!”

“One day she will make swords like me.” Tetsu argued. “And one day your squire might be the one saving us.”

Green Ninja scowled. “My squire will never be so heroic! He is meant to serve me! That's his only job!”

“So, if he was a Ninja like you, he'd get your respect?”

“Exactly.” 

“Brother, you're missing the point of this!” The Purple Ninja argued. “You can't treat people as less of person because of their job or social status!”

The Green Ninja didn't back down.

“So if for some reason you weren't a Ninja, but your brothers were..” Tetsu started

“That's different. Blood is thicker than water, water in this case being one of those lower people like squires and apprentices. I'd never treat one of my brothers in such a manner!”

“You mean besides that one brother?” Purple Ninja asked, sounding beyond done.

“Which brother?” Green ninja got defensive. “I'd never do such a th-”

“The Red Ninja! The one you've...well...I guess we're all guilty...of making fun of him, solely for being friends with his squire!”

“Yes, but...”

“But what? I'm sorry, but I'm done excusing this behavior.” The Purple Ninja said.

“....So am I.” The Gray Ninja said, his tone serious.

The Green Ninja was outnumbered and looked genuinely scared.

“Listen...” Purple Ninja started, “We should really respect our squires more than we do. We don't need to go to the level our brother does, but...We should at least care a little. I'm worried with how you treat yours, that you might start beating him like White Ninja does..”

 

The Green Ninja's eyes widened. “What!? I'd never hurt him! I-I mean sure I see him as lower, but I-I'd never strike him or anything. I-”

“You need to give him a chance...We all need to give our squires a chance. I mean I heard mine tells some pretty funny jokes. Gray Ninja, your squire hangs out with her all the time, perhaps he knows good jokes too! Green Ninja, I've heard yours is quite an artist, perhaps you can ask him to show you some art he's done?”

The Green Ninja was thinking this over. He didn't even know if he could see his squire as an equal. “....Fine... I'll try...”

The Purple Ninja smiled. “Good! Now, we really should head to the shelter, the wind is picking up.”

They all trekked to to the shelter and said their goodbyes.

Tetsu got the book for Freddi. 

“Thank you so much!” She said, giving him a hug.

Tetsu smiled. “No problem. Remember, you promised to visit me again.”

“I will! Hey, maybe next time I can bring Jodi and Samantha!”

“That would be great!”

Freddi used to the book to get back to the future. 

The Book had it's own thoughts on the Ninja situation:  
Those three were undoubtedly Ninjas, but they were not the ones The Sorcerer wanted. He said The Ninja has a scarf of red, not gray, green, or purple. Those three must have been part of the original Norisu Nine. No matter, they are the unimportant ones. I was hoping to find The Ninja in this little time travel situation, but alas no. This girl did say she'd return to visit that sword smith, maybe then I can destroy him. For now, I assume I'll just be a bed for Samantha's robotic feline. Ugh...

 

…..

The Red Ninja had managed to find a civilian in an area not yet effected by the wind and green smoke. She was a lovely young lady, who didn't need an escort to the shelter, but enjoyed the company anyway.

 

“Thank you so much for walking with me.” She said. “I get pretty lonely sometimes. However, I think my girlfriend is at the shelter already.”

“Of course. It could get dangerous real fast out here, so it's better if you stick with me.” He said. 

“Do you have any idea what caused this usual weather?” She asked.

“No, but my brothers and I will stop whatever it is.” 

She smiled. “You Ninjas are so brave, I don't think I could ever thank you enough for all you do.”

“That is very sweet of you, but you do not need to thank us. It is our birth duty to protect Norrisville, and we take it very seriously.”

“I can tell.” She said, still smiling. “So, I have a question.”

“Yes?”

“I've seen you with a squire before, and I'm curious about him. Are you the only one with a squire, or do all your fellow ninjas share him?”

“Plop Plop is my personal squire. My brothers each have their own, but they are rarely seen together. They do not get along as well as I do with my squire.”

“That's a shame...”

“It truly is. They think it's foolish to befriend someone “lower” than yourself.”

The woman turned to him, “But they don't think you're foolish, do they?”

The Red Ninja did not reply. The young woman frowned.

He sighed a bit and walked with her in silence. The woman felt guilty for bringing it up.

The Red Ninja noticed her silence. “Are you all right?”

“Yes, I'm fine, I just...feel guilty for bringing that up...”

The Red Ninja frowned a bit. “No, it's fine. I've dealt with them so long I'm kind of numb to their teasing....among other things.”

“What do you mean by that?” She asked, softly. 

“Well, my emotions have hardened a bit, but it makes the job easier. I can't let emotions get in the way of work.” 

“That doesn't sound very nice.” She commented. “You don't feel anything?”

The Red Ninja chuckled. “That's not what I meant, but sometimes it does feel like that.”

“Well I suppose it would help, given all the things you must see.” She said. “I couldn't imagine life without my girlfriend, could you imagine life without your squire?”

“Of course not. He is a close and personal friend of mine. He has been since I was young.”

“Oh! I've known my girlfriend that long, she was my best friend, well I mean she still is. Oh, you know what I mean right?” 

“Yes, of course.” He smirked. 

The two of them made it to the shelter. 

“Sweetheart!” The woman yelled in joy as she ran to the woman The Yellow Ninja had brought in. The two embraced tightly and kissed. “I'm glad you're safe.”

She smiled and kissed her. “And I'm glad you're safe, my dear.”

Red Ninja smiled, then went to meet up with his brothers.

“Hello brother.” The White Ninja greeted gently, surprising Red Ninja. 

“...Hello...” He replied, trying to hide his shock.

All the Ninjas could feel the awkwardness in the air, not understanding they'd each been through something that changed their perspectives (Well besides The Red Ninja.)

“We need to investigate that green smoke.” Gray Ninja said, desperate to break the silence.

“Right.” Red Ninja agreed. “Has everyone been taken to the shelter?”

“I've checked and everyone is accounted for.” The Yellow Ninja replied.

“Good.” The White Ninja said. “We don't need any pesky civilians in the way...”

There's the brother I know and “love” Red Ninja thought as he rolled his eyes.

He paused for a moment to think over his statement, then quickly added, “...They'd be in great danger, I mean. We have no idea what that green smoke is, but it is causing intense winds.”

Red Ninja was now more confused than shocked. Does the green smoke have something to do with this? If so, I'm not sure I want to stop it anymore...

The Ninjas headed over to the epicenter of the green smoke and were surprised by the sight: A green, wrinkled looking monster had his hands raised. This... thing … was the source of the smoke.

When he caught sight of them he grinned evilly, “Ninjas...”

“Who are you!?” The White Ninja demanded.

“Me? Why, I'm The Sorcerer, the most powerful being to ever exist!”

“Well you won't be so high and mighty when we take you down!”

The Sorcerer grinned. “Oh, is that so?” 

He gathered a ball of green in his hands and shot it at him. Luckily Red Ninja pulled him out of the way in time.

“Ow!” White Ninja rubbed his head. “Did you have to pull my headband, brother?!”

“I'm sorry you had to be saved by your inferior brother!” He snapped.

To his surprise (Again), The White Ninja looked hurt by his comment. 

“Oh dear, it looks like the Ninjas are having a family feud.” The Sorcerer chuckled. “You know the best way to end these kind of feuds?....The death of a family member!”

As he was about to blast for stank, Red Ninja pulled White Ninja's headband again and pulled him behind a wall.

“Again with my headband?” He grumbled.

“Listen, if we die out there I need you to know something....I hate you.” Red Ninja nearly snarled.

“You....hate me?”

The Red Ninja glared. “Yes, I hate you. You and the others are nothing cruel to me! Why would I feel anything else towards you?”

“....This is something we should discuss later, brother.” White Ninja said, his voice was soft but it held authority. 

“If we're still here later!”

“We'll stop that monster.” He said. “You always have to be a buzz kill, brot-”

Red Ninja glared more. “This is why! This is why if in the off chance we die I want you to know I hate you!”

“Uh, guys?” Yellow Ninja said. “We kinda need your help out here.”

The two Ninjas hurried back.

White Ninja kicked The Sorcerer causing him to stumble a bit. “Oh, you're a feisty little ninja, aren't you? You will probably be my greatest foe. One day it'll just be us two standing of the battle field, you broken and bloody, and me giving the final blow.”

“I wouldn't count on that, Sorcerer! Our clan will defeat you, together!”

“And I wouldn't count on that.” The Sorcerer laughed. The White Ninja attacked again, but this time The Sorcerer was ready and grabbed him by his foot, and dangled him. However, he could still punch and had a clear shot of his face.

The Sorcerer accidentally dropped him, causing him to tumble. He managed to turn it into a somersault and landed on his feet. Then he brushed the excess dirt off his suit.

“Is...that...all you got...Sorcerer...scum.” He panted out heavily.

“Far from it feisty one.” He gathered green smoke once more. 

The Ninja dodged quickly.

“I figure you'll be my greatest foe. Your other brothers look like such easy targets, unlike you.”

“What did you say!?” Snarled Blue Ninja as he charged and attacked.

The Sorcerer knocked him down and laughed. “I guess you're Hot Head, then.”

“I'm not a hot head you...Lizard-thing!” He yelled.

“Lizard thing? Was I supposed to be insulted by that, hot head?” 

The Blue Ninja glared and charged again, managing to kick his chest, and making him stumble back a bit. 

“Hm, or you could be my greatest foe. You've got a temper and keep fighting.” The Sorcerer said as he attacked again.

The Feisty One, Hot Head, and The Gray Ninja attacked in unison this time, almost managing to down The Sorcerer.

The Sorcerer wiped the stray line of blood on his mouth before turning to The Gray Ninja, “Oh, I know you're the most timid of Ninjas. I've seen you only really fight when you tag-along with one of your brothers. That's a perfect name for you, Tag-Along.”

“I'm not a tag-along!” He yelled, then tried to attack on his own. The Sorcerer stepped out of the way causing him to tumble.

“A tumbling Tag Along, that is.” The Sorcerer teased harshly.

“My squire tells better jokes than that!” The Purple Ninja spat.

“Oh I see...Well, her jokes don't compare to how funny it will be when you're dead.” The Sorcerer lunged, but The Purple Ninja hopped out of the way.

“Maybe so, but that won't be as funny as when we defeat you!”

“Defeat me?” He laughed. “Now, that's funny! Hahaha! You might as well be The Comedian of your clan, silly Ninja!”

He attacked again, hitting The Sorcerer, but he get pinned under him. The Green Ninja lunged and pushed The Sorcerer off his brother.

The Sorcerer wiped the blood drooling off his lip and grinned. “And you must be The Stubborn One, I assume.”  
Without replying he attacked again, aiming his kicks for The Sorcerer's face. However he used his wrists to block The Ninja's shots. Then he gripped Green Ninja's neck, choking him.  
This caused the other Ninjas to hurry in and attack at once.

The Sorcerer stumbled backwards, but managed to grab Red, Orange, and Yellow Ninja.

“The last I need to name, hmm lets see....The Orange one will be Puny due to his size.” He looked at The Yellow Ninja shaking in fear. “You will be shaky, and you....well...I haven't heard the best things about you from your brothers,and from what I've gathered they consider you a....Mistake....”

Red Ninja felt his blood boil. He couldn't bare with this anymore. He managed to free his leg enough to kick The Sorcerer's face. He fell back dropping the three of them.

“Brother?” The Yellow Ninja panted in shock.

The Red Ninja was not going to let this green beast get away with this! He kicked him again in the stomach and took out his sword. As The Sorcerer tried to block it, he sliced his hand.

“Ah! You stupid Ninja!” He gripped his hand tightly. Using his uninjured hand, he tried to swat Red Ninja like a bug, but he leapt out of the way.

The brothers watched in shock as their outcast of a brother fought. It was only when he yelled out, “Are you going to help or you hoping he'll kill me!?” They sprang back into action.

However, despite this, The Red Ninja still was the one to do much of the butt-whooping. He was powered by his anger, the anger that had been built up just shy of eighteen years. For some reason beating The Sorcerer seemed as satisfying as beating the insults his brothers had spat at him and his squire all these years.

Eventually the green beast and the Ninja stood, staring each other down, panting heavily. The other Ninjas watched from the sidelines, knowing that (somehow) this fight had become personal. If things got too bad for their brother however, they wouldn't hesitate to join in once more.

“You truly are strong, Ninja.” The Sorcerer said, grinning evilly. “I have never seen some one with so much endurance.”

The Blue Ninja was about to protest about his endurance when The Purple Ninja sushed him.

“However, I am growing tired form our quarrel. I need rest.”

“No, this ends now, Sorcerer!”

“Be patient my dear Ninja, the end will come soon enough, however...It will be Ninja blood on the ground, and not my own.” He laughed as he made a smoke screen of his green smoke and banished.

The Red Ninja collapsed to his knees and panted heavily. His brothers rushed over.

The White Ninja carried him. “Are you all right, brother?”

The Red Ninja did not answer and avoided eye contact.

“Brother...I love you...” White Ninja said. 

Red Ninja's eyes widened and he looked up in shock. “You what?”

“....I love you...” He repeated. “We are family.”

“You don't treat me like it, you treat me as an outcast.”

“And I apologize for that....Listen, you fought bravely out there today, heck better than I've ever fought, but if this thing returns, we all need to work together to stop him. If we don't treat you as a member of this team,...as a brother..we won't be able to stop him at all. Please brother, forgive us.” White Ninja pleaded.

The Red Ninja sighed in defeat. “All right...My brother.”

They had made it back home. The White Ninja handed off Red Ninja to Purple Ninja. “Get him in bed, I'll get his squi....Plop Plop.”

He entered The Squire's Quarters. His squire panicked and huddled close to Blue Ninja for protection.

“Plop Plop,Julius,Messenger,Ortensia,Oswald, come with me.” He commanded.

The five of them looked at each other in puzzlement due to not being referred to as Red Ninja's lowlife of a squire,The milk thief,The Creep,The Creepette,and Lowlife's rabbit, respectively (Not that it was respectful in anyway.)

As they hesitantly approached, The White ninja turned around once more. “Squire, I'd like you to accompany me as well.”

The White Ninja's squire gulped as he shakily got up and walked over. “Y-yes master, o-of course.”

The White Ninja raised his hand causing his squire to flinch in anticipation of a beating. However, he gently rested his hand on his shoulder and gave a friendly squeeze. 

Although he was confused (And still scared), he relaxed slightly, and followed his Ninja.

The seven of them entered Red Ninja's room. Seeing his condition, Red Ninja's companions ran over. 

“Ninja!” Plop Plop said panicked. Julius, Oswald, and Ortensia crawled into the bed and snuggled close to him. The Messenger frowned. “W-what happened?”

“A p-powerful green b-b-beast called The Sorcerer attack...attacked...” He coughed out.

“Did you get him?” Ortensia asked worriedly. 

“No...but don't worry, we will.” He coughed again. He took off his mask and smiled at Ortensia to calm her.

Ortensia smiled and hugged him. He winced and she pulled back. “Sorry!”

“No, it's all right...I'm just a bit...sore.” He coughed in between words.

“I'm sure you'll get him soon.” Julius purred as he nuzzled his cheek, then gave it a gentle lick.

The Red Ninja smiled. Unlike the smile he gave to Ortensia, this one was genuine.


	5. Standing On a Broken Field

A year had passed since the first confrontation with The Sorcerer, and things had been going much better. Despite frequent attacks by said Sorcerer, the village was relatively peaceful.

During these times of peace, taking walks was a common pass time when there was nothing else to do. 

One young woman was partaking in this very thing. Her hair was a dark blue and her eyes were emerald green. She held a parasol to keep the bright sun out of her eyes. She looked to the sky and pursed her lips slightly.

No green clouds, drat! I was hoping to see The Sorcerer.

It wasn’t that she wanted Norrisville to be taken over by that beast or anything like that, but, he was just so fascinating to her. Who wouldn’t at least be a tad interested in a magical, wrinkled, err...lizard-thing? Secretly she envied The Ninjas for being able to get so close to him, especially The Red Ninja (Who she’d heard been called “Mistake” often by The Sorcerer.)

She sighed a bit. She at least wished she had someone to share her interest with. However, if the woman expressed any kind of fascination with The Sorcerer, she would be called a traitor and shunned away. Heck, The Ninjas might go after her!

Suddenly she fell over, dropping her parasol into the dirt.

“Stupid...rock…” She coughed as she got up and brushed herself off. The woman went to get her parasol, but out of the corner of her eye she saw the “rock” she tripped on. It was glowing a dark purple.

Carefully she picked the thing up and felt a surge of power. 

“This is amazing!” She laughed as she pulled the glowing orb closer. Her laugh turned deeper and scratchier the longer she held on. A light purple glow consumed her and transformed her.

“Ugh...my head...” She groaned as she stroked it. However in a second she realized her voice had became raspy and cruel. “M-my voice...I-”

She caught sight of herself in an old mirror: Her skin had wrinkled and became a palish green. Her once beautiful, neatly brushed hair, as now tattered and rat nested. The once emerald eyes now shined a light yellow. Her worn out looking robe was the same purple and grayish blue as her dress was. On her neck was a necklace made of orbs like the one she had found.  
The woman meant to scream in fear, but it came out more as a disgusted hiss. She backed away from the mirror and examined herself closely. Her hands were wrinkled and her nails stuck out like sharp claws. Despite how it looked the robe was very comfortable. The only problem was the orb necklace was heavy and would take some while to get used to. She grabbed her hair in sadness, and to her surprise, like the robe, it was soft and silky smooth. Now that she thought about it, her hands were pretty smooth too. This was the first time she'd ever truly felt comfortable. 

However, despite this, she figured her outward appearance was a problem. They would no doubt think she was a monster, come to take over like.... “Oh my goodness, I look like The Sorcerer! Could I possibly be a-”

Her thoughts were cut short when she heard footsteps. She hurried off to not be seen, and ended up in a cave. It was drippy, wet, and dark, but it was the best hiding place.

She hissed again as she stepped onto the moist, slimy rock. She managed to find a dry on to sit on without getting her robe damp. She grabbed the orbs and examined them. To her touch they glowed slightly, and various shades of purple swirled in the orb in small mists. 

These are also very similar to the ones The Sorcerer has...Maybe... Maybe I am like him, a Sorceress.  
The Sorceress.

Hearing squeaking, The Sorceress looked up and saw a rat scurry by. 

She thought back to a time last year when she saw The Sorcerer do something...interesting...with his stank:

The Sorcerer laughed as he cast green clouds of what he called Stank into the air. The villagers screamed as they tried to run away from this beast. Well, most of them.

The woman was hiding behind a barrel, hugging her knees close and watching from the distance. The Sorcerer was such a fascinating creature.

What is he exactly? She wondered. He kind of looks like a lizard...A wizard lizard perhaps? Maybe if I got a little closer....

The Norisu Nine jumped out and surrounded The Sorcerer. He laughed as he looked at the warriors.

“Well,well,well, The Norisu Nine have come to meet their end, I see.” He paused and looked past him. “And you've brought your squires to watch. Ha! Don't worry, they'll meet you in the afterlife soon after!”

The woman shifted her gaze to the squires: The Blue Ninja's squire (She wrongly assumed, as it was Red Ninja's squire.) held the front, he didn't seem as concerned as the others. To him it seemed like an everyday occurrence he'd grown to live with. By his side stood three animals, a rabbit, and two cats. The female cat was holding the hand of the village's messenger. It wasn't exactly odd to see him watching per-say, but it was more puzzling why he was standing with the squires. She decided to not ponder this anymore and looked over to the others. The White Ninja's squire was latching onto The Red (Blue) Ninja's squire, shakily. The Red Ninja's squire kept a stoic look, but he was giving the shaky squire a half hug with one arm, the other arm by his side. How could the three squires she'd seen so far be so different? They all belonged to The Norisu Nine after all. Two brave, and one terrified. What were the others like? She noticed there were three female squires, and she caught sight of two of them huddled together like mother and daughter. The younger one, The Yellow Ninja's squire, was cradled close to The Orange Ninja's squire's chest. She looked about as scared as The White Ninja's squire, if not, slightly less. She was hugging the older squire's neck tightly and occasionally looking at The Ninjas. Maybe she was the daughter of The Orange Ninja's squire and one of the Ninjas. She assumed the squire and The Orange Ninja were her parents (The Orange Ninja, his squire, The Yellow Ninja and his squire daughter had a long discussion about this, and ultimately decided The Orange Ninja could be considered her step-father. ) The Green Ninja had a look of worry on his face, his eyes set on his Ninja in fear. She noticed he held both his hands on his heart. This was a look of love on his face, she realized. Lastly she spotted the only other female squire, The Purple Ninja's squire and The Gray Ninja's squire whom seemed to be her partner in crime. The Purple Ninja's squire seemed bent forward a bit in fear, while The Gray Ninja's squire put his hand onto her arm in comfort and gave a gentle squeeze. She smiled and embraced him.

She then looked back at The Ninjas. During the time she was looking at the squires they had formed into a small grouping.

The Red Ninja and The White Ninja were both standing in front, leading the others. Red Ninja's squire was much like his Ninja, both standing brave. (His actual squire didn't match his seriousness, however.) She was surprised how stark a contrast The White Ninja was to his squire. Right behind them stood The Blue Ninja and The Green Ninja. The Blue Ninja was much more serious than his squire (His actual squire was as serious as him.) The Green Ninja's squire seemed different from him as well. She wondered if they were together or if the squire's crush was one sided. Behind them were The Gray Ninja and The Purple Ninja. They stood next to one another, but didn't seem as close as their squires were. They seemed more focused on battle than friendship. Lastly in the back stood The Orange Ninja and The Yellow Ninja. The Orange Ninja seemed like he'd be a sweet father (As a step-father he was, however The Yellow Ninja was a very loving father however.) She wondered how The Orange Ninja and his squire took their daughter being a squire to a fellow Ninja.

The battle started with a frontal attack from The Red and White Ninja, while The Blue, Green,Purple, and Gray Ninjas attacked from the back. Yellow and Orange attacked form either side.

The woman held her breathe, actually worried for this green monster. Sure he was evil, but couldn't they have tried something else, anything else!?

She had to look away for a while, hugging her knees tighter. When she looked back The Sorcerer had The Gray Ninja pinned. He took out his sword and swung it at The Sorcerer, managing to slice his face slightly. The Sorcerer grabbed the sword and hissed. “Tag-along, you vile Ninja! I am however surprised you'd attack directly.” 

The Gray Ninja kept glaring. He has gripping his sword tightly, ready to attack again. The Sorcerer smirked, “Trying to act strong I see, well...Lets see how strong you are after losing a family member!”

The Gray Ninja's eyes widened. “N-no! Please no, don't-!”

The Sorcerer laughed and swatted The Yellow Ninja and then shot stank at him. At this point the woman heard The Yellow Ninja's squire let out a shrill cry. 

Wanting to manipulate the poor Ninja, he lied, “That stank...should have killed him on contact.”

The Gray Ninja's eyes widened more. There seemed to be a green mist emitting from him. The Sorcerer grinned as he gathered this stank in the orbs around his waist. He blasted stank at The Gray Ninja.

He let out a snarl of pain as he turned into a monster. The Gray Ninja had become what could only be described as a giant light gray frog. On his torso, back and one leg was his clan’s 9 logo, in a darker gray. His eyes and clawed toes were shining the same yellow as the inside of a lemon. His teeth however were pure white and like his claws as sharp as his sword. Like The Sorcerer his nose was only two small slits. 

Despite his frog like appearance, he got onto his hind legs and let out a powerful roar, much like a lion's.

The Ninjas and squires stood in a stunned silence. The Gray Ninja’s squire had paled, his gentle grip on The Purple Ninja’s squire’s arm had become a death grip. She could see The Purple Ninja’s squire was resisting the urge to wince in pain, most likely to not make things worse.

“What did you do?!” Yelled The White Ninja, pointing his sword out.

“I stanked him.” He explained.

“Turn him back now!”

“That part is out of my control, Feisty One. I’ll leave my new minion here to fight you and go rest.” He created a cloud of green stank and made his escape. 

The woman mentally sighed. She hadn’t gotten her chance to get close to The Sorcerer. She peaked out from behind the barrel, sitting on her hands and knees, to watch the battle between The Ninjas and their brother.

They were all panicked and circled around him. He lunged at Red Ninja and pinned him to the ground. He kept his “paws” on his arms so he couldn’t reach his sword. The woman found it odd The Blue Ninja’s squire seemed the most worried of the squires. 

Speaking of The Blue Ninja, he rammed the monster in the side, causing him to let go of Red Ninja. The Gray Ninja swung his claws at The Blue Ninja.

The Red Ninja coughed harshly as blood trickled down his mask. When she looked over to the squires again, The Blue Ninja's squire was trying to run towards him. The Messenger, the two cats, and the rabbits, were holding them back. The Red Ninja's squire seemed more worried about The Blue Ninja.

The Blue Ninja's squire was trying to run towards him, tears trickling from his eyes. The other squires had to help and keep him back. He wasn't even concerned about his own Ninja currently in battle.

“Plop Plop..” The rabbit said, putting his paw on his arm. “Shh it's okay, Plop Plop.”

The Red Ninja noticed Plop Plop and staggered up, then limped over. Plop Plop cried until he noticed the ninja was okay. Then he ran over and embraced him tightly. The Red Ninja grunted a bit in pain, but he let the squire hug him. His actual squire was concerned too, but much less than this squire, Plop Plop.

“Plop Plop.” The Red Ninja sighed slightly annoyed as he patted his back in comfort. “I'm fine.”

“Good...you idiot.” He sniffled.

The woman focused her attention back on the fight.

The Blue Ninja, panting heavily, was crouched on top of his head. The monster roared and swatted his “paws” at him. While he was distracted the other ninjas attacked his underbelly, including,surprisingly, The Red Ninja (Much to the dismay of The Blue Ninja's Squire who kept holding on tightly.)

He hissed and swatted them.

The Yellow Ninja sat up groggily and rubbed his head. “Ugh..my head.”

His eyes widened when he saw his brothers fighting a huge monster. He didn't hesitate and ran over to assist. 

The monster stopped fighting when he caught sight of The Yellow Ninja and stared. 

“Brother?” He asked. His voice, despite being deep and monstrous, sounded relieved. There was a cloud of green stank as he transformed back into his normal ninja form. He clamped his head in pain, “Ugh, what happened?”

“You mean you don’t remember turning into a huge monster?” The Blue Ninja asked, almost in anger, or perhaps a more annoyed disbelief.

“I was a monster?” The Gray Ninja sounded dazed and confused as he held on tighter to his head. “I-I don’t remember…”

He tried to get up and staggered quite a bit, before collapsing to his knees. The Ninjas, The squires, the messenger, the rabbit, and the two cats rushed over.

His squire and The Blue Ninja were holding onto his arms to steady him.

“You seriously don’t remember?” The Blue Ninja asked, sounding only slightly less bothered by this.

“No…. everything’s a blur... I mean… I thought…” He looked at The Yellow Ninja and smiled widely. “Brother, you’re all right!”

“Yes, I am. I just got knocked back a bit by The Sorcerer, that’s all.” He said.

“True Ninjas don’t let a tumble get them down, right, mom?” Asked The Yellow Ninja’s young squire to The Orange Ninja’s squire.

The older squire smiled as she rested her hands onto the young one’s shoulders. “Yes my dear. Ninjas are stronger than a little fall.”

The Yellow Ninja’s squire then embraced The Yellow Ninja, not too tightly in case he was sore.

The Gray Ninja seemed to becoming aware again of his surroundings. When he saw The Red Ninja, his eyes widened and his voice became soft, “You’re bleeding…”

“I’m fine…” He said, starting to wipe away the blood from his face. 

The Gray Ninja frowned more, “Did… Did I…. Did I do this?”

The Red Ninja was about to answer, but Plop Plop interrupted, “Yeah, you did!”

The Gray Ninja looked startled and ashamed for his actions.

“Plop Plop.” The Red Ninja’s squire scolded. He glanced over to The White Ninja’s squire latching onto his arm as he said the next part. “You can’t yell at someone who’s sensitive.”

Out of the corner of her eye, the woman could see The White Ninja tense slightly at those words.

“I’m not sensitive.” The Gray Ninja coughed out, slightly embarrassed. 

“We need to figure out what happened.” The White Ninja said.

“Ninj-....Brother.” The Red Ninja started. The uneasiness in which he said ‘Brother’ made it almost seem like a vile word, a word you wouldn’t use in polite company. “I think I understand.”

“Really now? Please explain.” The White Ninja said, almost in a mockery. He paused, and then added, “If you will. I’m impressed you came to a conclusion so fast.”

“Our brother only turned into that...thing...when he thought our other brother was dead, correct?”

“I suppose that is true.” White Ninja said. He paused again. “I mean, yes, of course.”

“I was unconscious so I have no idea what’s going on.” The Yellow Ninja said.

“And I don’t remember anything.” The Gray Ninja said, now no longer dazed.

“You turned in a monster.” The Gray Ninja’s squire explained. “A big, gray monster, like a frog I guess and um…”

“I’ve got this.” The Green Ninja’s squire said. He turned to the messenger, “Do you have any spare parchment?”

The messenger seemed a bit nervous this squire was talking to him. The female cat frowned at his tenseness and grabbed his hand. The messenger smiled a bit and relaxed. He ruffled through his bag, looking. He pulled out an old schedule that was no longer up to date. Sure it was wrinkly, but he didn’t think the squire expected high quality parchment like he usually drew on. 

“Thank you.” He took the paper and flipped it to the back. He didn’t think of bringing paper, let alone ink, so he looked for a substitute. He found a thin stick and a small mud puddle. The squire then placed the parchment on a smooth rock, dipped the stick into the mud, and began his art. 

He made long strokes and seemed very mindful of his art. No one, not a squire, not a ninja, not a messenger, not an animal, complained of the long process. They seemed mesmerized by how delicate The Green Ninja’s squire’s art was, how gentle his strokes were.

He smiled and showed off his art. “This is what he looked like. His body was the same color as his headband, and his spots were a darker gray. His claws and eyes were light yellow, like uh...the inside of a lemon. His teeth were really white though, like pearls.”

“Good show, my squire, you have captured his image well.”

The squire blushed and became bashful. “R-really? T-thank you, N-ninja.”

The Green Ninja’s eyes became soft, and the woman assumed he was smiling under that mask of his.

“I was that!?” The Gray Ninja stuttered out.

“Yes.” His squire confirmed.

“And as I was saying before.” The Red Ninja continued. “He turned into that thing when he thought our brother was dead. I think The Sorcerer gets his power from intense emotional reactions. You were in grief and he used that to his advantage and turned you into the beast.”

“O-oh I see..” The Gray Ninja looked away, no doubt still in shock.

“That means he’ll be able to do it to others too!” The White Ninja said. “We need to keep records of this! squire!”

“Y-yes?” His squire squeaked out.

To the woman’s puzzlement, The White Ninja’s tone became much softer, “When we return, will you document what happened?”

“Y-yes of, of course.” He said, sounding a bit less nervous.

“Good. Now, brothers, we need to head home and discuss this more. You never know if there are unwanted ears…”

The way he said this made the woman paranoid. Her breath became stiff, she held her knees closer, and leaned as close to the wall as possible as not to be seen. She was hoping she hadn’t been found out.

The Ninjas with their squires, along with the messenger and animals headed off.

The woman exhaled in relief and left when she was sure they were all gone. Then she headed home herself.

When she got there she pulled out the scroll she'd been writing any information she could find out about this fascinating creature.

At the top was a crude drawing she'd done of The Sorcerer. She was no artist like The Green Ninja's squire, and the art was fairly crude. Sometimes after being able to see The Sorcerer again she fixed any mistakes she had made. Because of this, the paper was wearing thin.

She scrolled to the next open spot on the parchment and wrote:

The Sorcerer seems to have more use for that green smoke of his than just to destroy. It turns out he can use to it make monsters from people's intense emotions.

He was attacking again, and I, of course, had to see what he was doing. The Ninjas came in to stop him as usual. However this time he convinced The Gray Ninja, that he (The Sorcerer), had killed his brother The Yellow Ninja. This upset him and he gave off the fumes that were similar to The Sorcerer's. Then he blasted it back and turned the ninja into a monster that looked like this:

She sighed as she started drawing. She wasn't the best artist, and seeing a true artist like The Green Ninja's squire draw the monster so beautiful and detailed, well...it kinda hurt.

Finally she'd drawn the monster.

His body was the same gray as his head band, and those 9 marking were the color his headband would most likely be if it got wet. His claws and eyes were what The Green Ninja's squire described as the inside of a lemon. He also described his teeth as white as pearls.

This was a terrifying creature indeed, but I'd be lying if I said I never wanted to see another one.

He waited for her art to dry before folding up the scroll and hiding it under the floorboard.

….....

“Drat! I need to grab that scroll...tonight, when everyone else is asleep.” The Sorceress thought. “But for now....”

She looked back at the rat. It was holding a sunflower seed in it's fore paws, nibbling away, it's cheeks as big as a chipmunk's.

“I might as well practice to pass the time....”

She looked over to the rat and let out a shrill cry. The rat squeaked in fear, dropping it's seed. There was a purple mist gathering around the rat, and The Sorceress grinned.

She lifted her hands and the mist went towards her. Involuntarily she let out a laugh. Then, in an automatic motion, she pulled the stank towards her, and it caused her necklace of orbs to glow. She loved the power pulsating through her.

Then she blasted the stank at the rat:

The rat grew huge and it's fur turned a grayish-green. It's back had become hunched, and it's front legs and paws grew huge, while it's back paws and legs where small in comparison. The front paws held sharp red claws. It's curling tail was the same color. Along it's back were giant poofs of hair the same color. It's eyes, like The Gray Ninja's eyes had become, a very bright, almost blinding white. It's snout was crinkled with a dark red nose at the end. It was snarling, showing off it's pearly, razor sharp, whites. 

The Sorceress was proud of her monster. It let out a roar and looked at it's master for instruction.

The Sorceress put her hand out and pet the rat monster. It let out something that was a mix between a purr and a growl. It patted his tail against the ground, like a dog.

“Good boy.” The Sorceress cooed.

The rat stank shook it's head and let out a squeak.

“Good girl.” She corrected. 

The rat purr growled some more. After some more petting she relaxed and got destanked. 

“Thank you my little rat, you helped me more than you know.” The Sorceress said. 

The rat squeaked and rubbed her head against her hand some more. The Sorceress grinned and pet the rat some more. 

Hoping to pass the time until sunset she cuddled into the corner of the cave and closed her eyes. The rat climbed into her arm and snuggled her close, joining her for the nap.

….......  
The sun had set and The Sorceress woke up. She gently placed down the sleeping rat and pet her gently. She smiled and went outside.

There was a chill and slight breeze as she exited. 

As the Sorceress walked by the village and noticed the familiar green stank: The Sorcerer was there.

Her eagerness got the better of her and she went over to watch. The villagers were running in panic, trying to escape the monster.

She scanned the area, looking for him, when she spotted him atop a building, shooting stank at the villagers below, who ran like scared dogs from a boar.

“It's The Sorcerer!” One man yelled, running as fast as he could.

“Why yes, it's me.” The Sorcerer chuckled as he gathered more stank into his hand. He blasted it at the man.

The man was hit by the stank and fell into a paper house. He emerged a moment later as a monster resembling a dandelion:

He was big, but his body was thin and amber red. He had hoofed feet with three yellow claws on each one. His face was a mane of yellow and orange, in a circle like a flower. In the center was his mouth with sharp, thin cone shaped teeth. 

This new monster let out a roar and joined the others:

One was a dirt brown armadillo like monster. His claws were the same color as his torso. Down his back were beige-yellowish, pyramid shaped spikes. His face looked like a skull being used as a mask, with bright yellow spikes sticking out. His perfectly round eyes were the same color. His horns and markings on his face were a dark brown. Near the bottom it got jagged and tan.

 

Atop a building sat a dark blue dragon like monster with a light blue muzzle, underbelly and arms. She had tentacles off the back off her head. Despite her body becoming basically a tail, she still had her dark blue robe with pink rims on.

Another monster was an umbrella. She was a light blue and still had her straw hat upon her head. The dark red handle of the umbrella served as her foot she hopped around with, and even still had a sandal on it. She had one light yellow eye in the center. Below that was her heavily lipsticked mouth with a jagged tongue and sharp teeth.

One of the last creatures was a uh.... red ball thing? He had beige yellow lines down the front. His small pokey arms were the same color, but his feet were black. His face was tan, his eyes were bright yellow, his mouth in a scowl, and his nose two crude cuts. His eyebrows, mustache and beard, were a dark blue, big and bushy.

The Sorcerer laughed as he watched his creatures create havoc on the village. 

As The Sorceress watched, she became envious of the power he held. So, very envious, but at the same time, she was still fascinated by his power. She decided to go with her instinct and do what felt natural.

“Yes!” The Sorcerer yelled as he shot more stank. “For entirety you shall-”

As The Sorcerer shot stank at a young woman, The Sorceress joined in and in unison with him said, “Suffer!”

Confused The Sorcerer looked up and saw her. When she laughed he let out a snarl. How dare she interrupt this mass stanking! This...admittedly beautiful creature...had no right at all to do this!

“You dare interfere-!” He started before getting blasted back by her stank.

When he fell to the ground, to The Sorceress's surprise, he grinned. As he sat up and prepared some stank himself, he commented, “You like to play rough, do you?”

The Sorceress laughed and shot stank back. Being equal in strength the stank just hit and stuck together. They raised their stank into the air and mass stanked the village.

“You are the most, vilely, beautiful creature I have ever seen.” The Sorcerer remarked.

The Sorceress felt light headed in happiness, not that she'd let it show. This was her first chance to finally talk to him, she wasn't going to show weakness in front of him.

“Well, I'd like to say the same to you.” She grinned.

“My, my, you're quite the flatterer, aren't you?” He laughed.

The Sorceress let out a shrill giggled, the only amount of innocence she'd allow herself to show.

“Well, as long as you're here, why don't you join me?” He asked, putting his hand out to her.

The Sorceress blushed, but hid it quickly and grabbed his hand. In unison they laughed as they shot stank into the air.

The sky shot bright with purple and green.

…..  
In The First Ninja's room, Plop Plop was snuggled close to him, resting his face in his chest. Oswald was in between them, resting into Plop Plop's chest, his ears folded down, a small,soft smile on his face. His back was pressing against Julius's. Julius rested his face in The Red Ninja's chest, purring lightly.

As the sky lit up, The Red Ninja opened his eyes slightly. He looked at the paper “window” and saw a light show of green and purple. He had no idea what the purple was, but he had a good idea what the green was.

He tried to sit up, but Plop Plop was weighing him down. Julius and Oswald however woke up right away from the sudden moment.

“What's wrong?” Julius asked.

“The Sorcerer.” He stated simply. Julius understood immediately. 

“But, did you have to wake us up?” Oswald yawned, stretching his arms and ears.

“I apologize Oswald, I did not mean to wake you. You can sleep more if you you assist me with getting Plop Plop off.”

“All right, all right.” He yawned again. “I have a few tricks that'll work.”

He snuggled closer under his arm and nuzzled his face again Plop Plop's. Plop Plop laughed a bit in his sleep and focused all his snuggling on Oswald. 

“What do you call that trick?” Julius snickered. “Wittle bunny-wunny needs some cuddly wuddlies?”

“No it's called, 'Julius the cat'.”

Julius raspberried him. Oswald just laughed and pawed Julius's face playfully.

The Red Ninja hopped out of bed quickly. Julius followed after, “Wait, can I come with you?”

“You want to come with?” The Red Ninja was confused. 

“Yeah, I wanna make sure you're okay.” Julius said.

The Red Ninja sighed. “All right, Julius, come along then.”

“I'll keep the bed warm for you, kitty-witty.” Oswald teased in a baby voice.

Julius smirked. He'd get him for sure after this.

He went to get the other Ninjas. The Ninjas and squires had started sharing rooms just like The Red Ninja had done with Plop Plop.

As he passed by The Orange Ninja's room, he heard the bed creaking and them making....sounds of love. Julius laughed a bit, but a glare from The Red Ninja stopped him mid-laugh. 

“W-what?” Julius asked.

“This is the most sacred thing two people in love can do.” The Red Ninja explained, dead serious. “It's not a matter you take lightly.”

“Then how come Oswald and Ortensia never-?”

The Red Ninja's eyes widened and he quickly said, “Come on, lets just leave them alone.”

Afterwards The Orange Ninja held his squire close and stroked her hair and back. 

“I love you.” She sighed into his chest.

“....I love you too.”

“You hesitated.”

“What?”

“You hesitated!” She repeated.

“I did?” The ninja asked.

“Yes. Are you doubting our love again?” She asked, frowning deeply.

“What? N-no of course not!”

“But, then why did you..?”

“I was thinking...about the last time.”

His squire frowned deeply. She remembered the day too:

The two of them were snuggling under a cherry blossom tree in full bloom. Some of the leaves fluttered down and landed on the young lovers.

They both held tightly and close, not wanting to let go for one,single, moment. The squire sighed lightly as he stroked her back.

“I love you.” He said, kissing her cheek gently.

“I love you t-” The squire started, but stopped when she saw he lover's brothers huddled in front of them.

The Ninjas had mostly unhappy reactions to them.

The White, Green, and Blue Ninja were glaring them down coldly. It was as if they'd attacked the village and the three of them had caught the two hiding.

The Yellow ninja had more of a disappointed look on on his face. Akin of that of a mother who found out her child had been taking candy without asking.

The Purple Nina stood away from the others, as did The Gray Ninja, but unlike his brother, he avoided eye contact.  
Then there was The Red Ninja. His reaction may not have mattered to any of them, but he still had one. He looked...sad... Not sad that they would do something like snuggle under a tree, but sad they'd no longer be able to do it anymore. Unlike the others, it was clear he was fine with their love. His own squire was by his side, looking uneasy himself.

 

“What are you doing with him?!” The White Ninja nearly snarled at his brother's squire.

Her face went pale and she fiddled with her hands, not making eye contact. “Well I uh..um...we uh...we...”

“We're snuggling.” The Orange Ninja finished for her. 

“Why?”

“Because...I love her?”

The White, Blue, and Green Ninjas had an utter look of disgust on their face. The Yellow Ninja's face paled, while The Purple Ninja bit his lip. 

The Gray Ninja put his gaze on a dog in the distance. Her owner, the butcher was cutting some fresh ham to sell in about an hour or so. The dog, her tail wagging, her tongue out, no doubt begging, put her front paws on the counter. The Gray Ninja could imagine her whines and whimpers for the meat. He assumed the man chuckled as he put a piece of ham down for her, and watched her chew it up. That was the only way, The Gray Ninja thought, that a dog could taste boar flesh, and live.

The Red Ninja smiled slightly, but it was a pained smile. He knew the others weren't going to let this slide. His squire just looked like he didn't belong there, and in all truth, he really didn't.   
“You love her!? She's your squire, she's lower than you! She's meant to serve you, not kiss you, and snuggle you, or be your petty little girlfriend!” The White Ninja said in a way akin to a snarl.

“Petty?” The Orange Ninja's squire was offended.

“I don't care!”

“Oh you don't?” The Blue Ninja smirked. “Well then, you know what we'll have to do?”

“W-what?” 

“Well we'll-” The White Ninja put his hand out to shush Blue Ninja.

“Let me talk, brother.” He glared at The Orange Ninja, his eyes hard and full of anger. “Or...you can join our outcast brother...”

The Orange Ninja's eyes widened as he shot up. “No!”

From the sudden movement, his squire fell down. She looked up, hurt, “What?”

He turned to her and exhaled sharply. “Look, I don't want to be an outcast! Besides they're right, you're my squire!”

She teared up. “F-fine! I-I don't n-need you!”

She started sobbing and ran off.

The Orange Ninja frowned deeply. The White Ninja put his arm around him, “You made the right choice. Now come, brother, we have training to do.”

His squire had run into the squire's quarters, breathing heavily. 

“Hey...you okay?” The Green Ninja's squire asked.

“Maybe she's crying because her ninja had to stop sucking her lip to train!” The Purple Ninja's squire laughed.

“He broke up with me!” She sobbed.

All the squires froze.

“W-we're so sorry.” The Yellow Ninja's original squire said.

“I'm not.” The Blue Ninja's squire grumbled. They all glared over at his intensiveness. “What? It was bound to happen someday! He's a Ninja, and those Ninjas see us as lower than them! You didn't really think he'd stay in love with you, did you?”

The Orange Ninja's squire frowned and looked away, sadly.

“Come here.” The Yellow Ninja's squire said, urging her forward.

Hesitantly, she came over, and was embraced tightly by him. She let it out all out and cried into him. One by one, the other squires joined in the hug, the orange squire in the center.

“We're all squires, and we'll all look out for each other, no matter what.” The Yellow Ninja's squire said.

“Th-thank you.” She sniffled.

“ I love you too.” He entangled his fingers in her hair and smiled.

She relaxed and fell asleep in his arms. The ninja kissed the top of her head.

“I love you so very, very much, and I promise I always have and always will. I won't ever leave you again my dearest water lily. You are the reason the sun shines brightly, why the birds sing, and why...why...ugh I'm not good at poetry...that's more of Green Ninja's squire's forte.”  
His squire giggled into his chest. “Oh it's all right, I get what you mean.”

He smiled and held her close as they both fell asleep.

….  
As The Red Ninja went to The White Ninja's room next, he heard the familiar crying of the squire. 

“Oh no. He's beating him again!” The Red Ninja thought. “Julius, stay here.”

Julius understood and nodded.

The Red Ninja was about to ram the door open, but he stopped.

“Shh shh it's okay, it's okay.” The White Ninja comforted in between his squire's sobs.

The Red Ninja thought for a moment, and they went past the door.

The White Ninja was patting his squire's shoulder as he sniffled and heaved. It was still kind of surreal to both of them, The White Ninja's hand being gentle with the squire and not beating him.

“So uh....why don't you....tell me about this nightmare you had?” He asked, awkwardly.

“Well...I-I suppose I can....”

I stood in an open field with grass swaying in the wind, the sky, however, was pure black. From the horizon you trudged out 

“Ninja?” I asked.

You didn't reply and stepped toward me, slowly. Your eyes looked hollow.  
As you got closer I realized he weren’t exactly you...you were a boar. I felt my chest tighten and took a step back. As I did this I realized the motion felt different. Looking to my legs I noticed I had four, covered in fur. I was a dog.

Still a little stunned by my species change I took a step towards you. “Ninja?”

You let out a snort like boars do before attacking. Then you dragged your hooves into the ground and narrowed your hollow, lifeless eyes, at me.

The wind picked up, causing me to shiver. We stared each other down for a while, you rubbing your hoof on the ground, scraping away grass.

The sound you let out before charging was more of one a bull would make rather than a boar. I quickly ran, but it was like the grassy voided landscape had invisible walls, trapping me in this one square patch. All I could do was run and hope you tired out before I did.

“Ninja...stop!” I panted out.

You let out another bull sound and kept going.

In the air I heard a voice similar to Ortensia’s, however a tad more shrill, say:

They had learned we are one  
They thought an era of peace had begun  
As they stood upon that rock  
They were in a for complete shock  
The dogs began to howl and sway  
To the dog and hog they would betray   
They circled around the stone  
In this era of peace they were alone  
The boar looked to his friend  
As they anticipated their end  
The boar knew what to do  
Into the crowd belong the dog he threw  
They bit and fought rough  
One even tore open her scruff  
The hog had used her bait  
To be able to make his escape  
So off he ran  
Away from the canine clan  
Sure he did feel guilt  
But then his perspective started to tilt  
They were too different to be pals  
He was supposed to gore into her entrails  
This Friendship was never meant to be  
And now this was plain to see  
Managing to escape the fight  
The dog took off in full flight  
The boar she wanted to find  
And kick his sorry behind  
The boar was surprised to see her alive  
The dog then lunged and took a dive  
But the dog was weaker than thy  
And he killed her by piercing her eye

I had a feeling that's what you were going to do, and I knew I had to run. From the shadows came more boars, the colors of all the ninjas with a dog at each of their side. They had hollow eyes, but the dogs looked fierce. 

You let out a huff and they charged me, biting my scruff and such. I managed to get out, but remembering Ortensia's poem I decided not to attack. 

Unfortunately, you didn't wait for my attack.

You lunged.

You tore into my flesh before stabbing your tusk into my eye.

The White Ninja's squire shivered harshly and hugged his knees close. The White Ninja frowned. He wasn't sure how to comfort him, but he'd sure as heck try his best.

He put his hand on his squire's shoulder. “Listen, it was just a dream, okay?”

“I-I know but... i-it was still so scary..” He whimpered.

“The dog and the boar...that was from Ortensia's story, wasn't it?”

“W-well, her father's story, but yes.”

“Well then, how about I give a conclusion to the poem in your dream?”

“I-it did have a conclusion...one with d-death.”

The White Ninja let out a dry chuckle “No. I'll show you...”

The boar woke up surprised  
From that horrid dream filled with lies  
He looked over to his side  
Where his friend, the dog, lied  
He was filled with glee  
Glad he had not actually fleed  
Carefully he licked her nose  
And she then curled up her paw toes  
He thought he liked her more  
More than a friend thought the boar  
Right as the sun began to lift  
He decided to get her a gift  
To a small meadow he went  
To get a flower, time well spent  
It was pretty and yellow  
The boar then felt pretty mellow  
He went back to his new home  
A place where for once he didn't feel alone  
He placed the bright flower by her  
In her sleep she began to stir  
She awakened to the flower she had smelled  
Then he heart began to swell  
The dog began to feel joy  
She was in love, oh boy!  
The boar nuzzled her close  
He cared about her the most  
They both felt intense glee  
Now that they were a family.

 

The White Ninja's squire smiled. “That was nice, Ninja.”

….

As they passed by The Purple Ninja's room and heard more crying.

“Did something happen?” Julius asked, worried about all the crying.

The Red Ninja sighed, “Well, nothing specific, but it's been a hard time in general for everyone. We're all stressed, and we all want to stop The Sorcerer. Come on, lets go.”

“Right.” Julius nodded once in understanding and followed.

While it was true that they were crying, it was from laughing so hard.

“O-oh I-I g-got another one!” The Purple Ninja's squire gasped out between laughs.

“T-t-tell it! Tell it!” The Purple Ninja laughed.

“Okay, okay! Two Ninjas w-walked into the market place and...Haha! And they walked up to a vendor and...and...they say 'Hello sir, do you sell any-' then they saw The Sorcerer and yelled, 'Sorcerer!' Then ahaha, the vendor..the vendor..he said...he said, 'No, I'm sorry we don't have any Sorcerer in stock!'” 

The two laughed.

My goodness, her jokes are awful!

He was lost in his thoughts and didn't realize he was laughing a lot longer than she had. His squire cleared her throat and he stopped abruptly.

“Oh, sorry. It was just so funny.”

“Really?” His squire actually sounded surprised. 

“Yeah.” He lied. “Why wouldn't they be?”

“....I mean it happened a year ago, before we all made amends, but...Oswald told me I'm not funny.” She frowned.

“That's not true, you are funny.” The Ninja reassured her.

“You promise you're not just saying that?” She asked hesitantly.

“I promise.” He lied.

She smiled widely. “Thank you.”

She gave him a tight hug and giggled.

He felt guilty, but what else was he going to do? He was worried he'd hurt her feelings.

“Hey, you know what?”

“Hm?”

“You're my best friend!” She said, snuggling closer into his chest.

“What? I-I am?” He asked.

“Yeah. I don't see why you're confused.”

“Well I uh...I mean...m-my brother, the gray one,...I thought...you and his squire...” The Purple Ninja trailed off, unsure how to finish. However, he was sure she'd gotten the gist of it.

“Well he is, all the squires are actually.” She explained.

“Really? So uh...are all the ninjas your best friends too?” He asked.

“No.” She said. “You're the only Ninja I'm close with.”

“I see...” He yawned.

“Maybe we should go to sleep. Hey! Maybe I'll dream up some new jokes, and I bet they'll be dreamy! Haha! Get it? “Dreamy!”

The Ninja let out a nervous laugh. “Yeah....dreamy...”

The squire hugged him tightly and snuggled close, before falling asleep.

“I sure hope they get funnier...”

….........  
As The Red Ninja and Julius passed the other doors. Unlike the other rooms, these ones were surprisingly quiet.  
“Should we wake them up?” Julius asked.

“No.” the Red Ninja replied. “They might be tired. The boar stampede took a while to stop.”

“But what if it's The Sorcerer?” Julius asked.

“....Julius...I can handle this...come on...”

“Wait, Ninja...What do you mean?” Julius asked. “You always fight The Sorcerer together.”

“Julius, listen...I have always been the outcast brother. Even now, when they're trying to accept me, it feels...forced...I still don't feel like one of them. I am able to fight independently. I'm not apart of them.”

“I see...” Julius said, frowning. He'd had his own series of insults thrown at him like, The red fuzzball,Outcast's wittle kitty-witty, Distraction, and many others. He knew how it felt and deiced not to press it anymore. He nodded and followed.

The Red Ninja was wrong about them sleeping.

The Blue Ninja winced as his squire washed the scar running up and down his leg. He bit his lip and squeezed his bedding, trying not to scream.

“Sorry.” His squire apologized. His ninja nodded to show it was fine, and he kept going. He whimpered, muffled by his lip. “Sorry.”

The ninja nodded again. He glanced at the towel, stained with blood.

“Darn wild boars! Darn those huge tusks! Darn me for getting close! And darn my ninja suit for getting ripped!” 

“It looked worse before.” His squire commented, still cleaning the wound. The ninja nodded again. The squire paused. “We promised we'd talk more, didn't we?”

He nodded.

“Well...We haven't really talked much, and I'm worried....What is this doesn't work?” He asked nervously, as he started to gently dab the wound some more.

“Sorry, I'm in pain right now.” the ninja said, his reply muffled.

“No, I meant...I meant...During other times. I was hoping we could be friends.”

“Aren't me already friends?” The Ninja asked, puzzled.

“I suppose so, but...The others are getting along better than us. You smile at me, give me a thumbs up every now and again, and pat my shoulder, but it feels like you're just trying to compensate for ignoring me all these years!”

“I am. I don't know how even to begin talking to you. I've known you since I was two and that day we fought and kept our grudges...I didn't even pay attention to you for these last twenty or so years. I didn't care. Now that I do care, I...I have no idea how to start. This past year I've been trying, trying desperately to talk to you, but I'm worried I might say the wrong thing. So I was starting slow, but now I realize it was much too slow, and I'm sorry.”

His squire smiled. “That makes sense...sorry if I was rushing you.”

“No, no, you are in the right on this one my squ..friend.”

Somehow the squire's smile managed to get bigger than before. “Thank you. We can start small and learn things about each other.”

“Like things I should have learned about you when I was two?”

“You're not much an optimist are you?” His squire teased.

“I didn't realize I had switched squires with The Purple Ninja.” The Blue Ninja teased, although his voice was still muffled and tense from the pain.

His squire smirked and kept washing the wound. However, The Blue Ninja managed to relax this time.

….  
The Gray Ninja was having terrible insomnia. He was hugging his knees to his chest and facing away from his squire.

He exhaled sharply and hugged his knees more.'

“Are you all right?” Asked his squire.

“Huh?” The ninja turned over. “Oh, I didn't realize you were up.”

“Yeah...I can't sleep.” His squire admitted. 

“Neither can I.” He groaned in frustration.

“Wanna hear some jokes one of the other squire's taught me?”

“Uh...sure...” He said, knowing full well whose squire they came from and how funny they would actually be.

“All right, “What's the difference between a rat and a Ninja?'”

“What?”

“One is filthy,diseased, putrid, and causes plagues...The other one is a rat!” He started laughing, but his ninja just frowned.

“How....How old is that joke?” The Ninja asked.

“A few years ago. Remember that huge rat infestation the village had? Well, we were watching from the sidelines and she told us all the joke. It was great, we were laughing so hard!” He laughed.

“I see...”

“Oh! Sorry, I didn't think about how you might take that joke...sorry.” His squire apologized.

“It's fine, I understand.” The ninja hugged his knees closer to his chest.

“No, I shouldn't have said that joke. I mean, you're sensitive like-”

“I'm not sensitive.” The Gray Ninja interrupted. “I just want to avoid conflict and things that aren't overall nice.”

“Oh...I see...” He said. “Well, how about another joke.”

“N-no thank you...I think I'm tired enough now...” He yawned.

“Me too.” His squire yawned as well. He laid down and hugged him,

The Ninja tensed up, but looked down at his squire, so happy, so relaxed...so...tired...like him.   
If we just hugged in the first place, I'd probably be asleep by now. He's so soft, and warm and....

He drifted off before he could finish his thought.

…...  
The Yellow Ninja was brushing his daughter's hair. She relaxed into the brushing and closed her eyes. 

“Thanks again for brushing my hair, daddy.” She said,

The Ninja smiled lightly. “No problem my dear, I love you.”

“I love you too, daddy.”

Her father was so gentle with her hair. It reminded her of how gentle The Orange Ninja’s Squire, her mother, brushed her hair. 

Even though the memory hurt, she still remembered the first time she brushed her hair:

The Yellow Ninja’s squire had died of cholera a month earlier, that’s all the young 9 year old knew when she was brought to serve the ninjas as a squire. 

She was beyond nervous, her stomach turned, and she felt close to vomiting. Not that she’d want to do something so vile in front of these mighty,noble warriors.

“Hello.” Greeted one of them, a Ninja with a headband of red.

“H-hello.” She repeated with a small, nervous bow.

The Red Ninja chuckled a bit, and she blushed in embarrassment, knowing she must have made some social faux pas. 

“You don’t need to bow.” He reassured her. The girl relaxed quite a bit.

“Come on, let her bow!” The White Ninja bellowed as he approached. “Bowing shows respect, and we’re the most respected in this village!”

The Red Ninja sighed in annoyance and rolled his eyes. “She’s new, brother, and not only that, she’s a child. So can you please respect her?”

The White Ninja looked offended. “Respect her!? She’s a squire, brother, a squire! She’s much, much,much, lower than us! I don’t want you spreading that ‘We are all equal’ garbage to her! She needs to know who’s in charge around here, and it’s not her!”

The girl looked to her feet, once again scared.

“You’re scaring her.” The Red Ninja pointed out.

“Yeah, and?”

“Ugh! I’ll take her to her ninja.” The Red Ninja said, gently grabbing the girl’s hand and heading towards the house.

The girl looked around, surprised by the size and structure of the ninja’s house. She’d never seen a house made of wood before!

They paused at The Squire’s quarters.

“Wait here.” The Ninja said, and went off. 

For a few moments she watched as he walked away. She noticed he approached a squire in blue robes and was talking to him. The way his body moved as he talked, his posture, everything indicated they had some sort of relationship outside of squire and ninja. Although she did question his robe color and if he was truly even The Red Ninja’s squire.

The girl looked inside The Squire’s Quarters and saw seven others staring back.

“Hello!” The Orange squire greeted with a small wave.

“H-hi.” She waved back nervously.

“That weirdo, Red Ninja giving you the grand tour?” Laughed The Purple Ninja’s squire.

“N-n-no he’s g-getting my n-ninja, and I um...I was t-told to wait...h-here.”

“Why don’t you come in?” The Orange Ninja’s squire asked, her voiced sickly and sweet.

Shaking quite a bit, the girl entered. 

“She has the perfect youthful beauty.” Commented The Green Ninja’s squire. “I must draw her beautiful face!”

“I know you’re the ‘artist’ of the group, but that sounded kind of creepy.” The Purple Ninja’s squire commented, The Gray Ninja’s squire nodding in agreement.

“You find everything creepy.” Commented The Blue Ninja’s squire, seated next to him was The White Ninja’s squire, hugging his knees,bleeding quite a bit.

When he noticed the girl’s worried glance, he looked away.

“His Ninja beat him…” The Blue Ninja’s squire explained.

“O-oh I-I’m so sorry..”

The White Ninja’s squire looked up. “I-it’s okay l-little one, I-I’ve been b-beaten s-so many times by h-him, that I-I’m used to i-it by n-now…”

The girl frowned deeper. “I-I knew he was r-rude, but I..I didn’t...didn’t think that…”

“That he’d physically hurt someone?” The Blue Ninja’s squire questioned.

The girl didn’t know how to reply, so she stayed silent.

The squire let out a dry chuckle. “Yeah, they’re about as dangerous as they look. All of them are horrible.”

“Oh..b-but The...The...R-red Ninja, he…”

“He and his squire Plop Plop are weird!” The Purple Ninja’s squire said.

“Super weird.” Added The Gray one.

“How so?”

“Well, first of all, that color does not suit him. If anything he should be in brown or beige, not red! Ugh! Besides that, he’s actually friends with his squire, which is really weird.” The Purple Ninja’s squire explained.

“I don’t see how that’s weird.” The girl said.

They all froze.

“You...shouldn’t get close to your ninja...at all…” The Orange Ninja’s squire spoke up, her voice solemn. 

“Why not?”

She exhaled sharply. “Just...don’t...they’ll betray you...trust me..”

The girl frowned. She heard someone clearing their throat and turned around. The Red Ninja stood there with The Yellow Ninja.

“You must be my new squire.” He said gently. 

“Y-yes sir.” She said, bowing.

“Hey, don’t bow, that means you respect them!” Yelled The Blue Ninja’s squire.

The girl was now sheepish and didn’t know what to do, who to listen too.

Instead she focused her eyes on the wooden box in The Yellow Ninja’s hands. It was a beautiful reddish-brown with The Norisu Nine logo on top in a tannish-yellow (Same with the latch below). even the bottom edges of the box were carved with their logo.

The Ninja crouched down and opened the box for her. Inside it was a yellow robe, the same color as her ninja’s scarf. Down the middle was a lighter yellow, like that of the sun’s light. Across the middle was a black rectangle with light yellow squiggly designs. 

“This your robe.” The Ninja said, smiling. “It shows that you’re my squire.”

“Wow, it’s so pretty…” She said, rubbing her hand against it.

“All the squire’s robes correspond with their ninja.” The Red Ninja explained. “The only exception being  Plop Plop. He is my squire, but his robes are blue.”

“Why?” The girl asked, curiously. 

“Well...It’s not really important..” He said, trying to hide his nervousness. He could feel The Blue Ninja’s squire glaring at him, but he didn’t look up to confirm this.

“Go ahead and get changed. If you need any assistance-”

“I’ll help her.” The Orange Ninja’s squire said, defensively. 

The Yellow Ninja bit his lip nervously, but nodded once. “Can you take her to me when she’s finished?”

“I’m not your squire.” She sneered. “Have Plop Plop do it, so he can actually work for once.”

“Uh…” Plop Plop didn’t know how to react to a command from another squire.

“I'll take her to you after.” The Red Ninja said.

This changed The Orange Ninja's squire's attitude pretty quickly, “Actually I will bring her to you after.”

“All right, good, good.” The Yellow Ninja said, nodding. He, The Red Ninja, and Plop Plop left.

“Come along, I'll show you where you can get dressed.” The Orange Ninja's squire said, her voice once again sweet.

The girl followed her to a private bathroom meant for the squires. It wasn't the most sanitary. The walls were molding, and the chamber pot was cracked on the top. Eventually she was able to ignore this, and got changed, then came back out.

“Let me fix you up a bit, hon.” The Orange Ninja's squire said, straightening out her robe. “There. You look adorable...although the robes mean you work for such evil things...”

“Why don't you guys quit if you don't like it?” The girl asked innocently. 

“We've seen the Ninja's faces unmasked. Now that we know what they look like and their names, we could be a threat out there to their identity. So if we truly wanted to leave....It would have to be through death.”

The girl paled, but she understood.

“Come on I'll take you to your....” She shuddered. “Master...”

The Orange Ninja's squire lead her to The Yellow Ninja, who was waiting patiently. 

“Are you ready for training?” The Yellow Ninja asked. The Orange Ninja's squire bit her lip before going off.

“Yes, sir.” She said bowing slightly. 

He chuckled. “You don't need to bow...Come on.”

As they walked down the hall, with walls covered in weapons and The Norisu Nine insigma, he explained, “Somethings you'll pick up from the other squires, and other things you'll learn from me.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Please don't say sir either...or master...it feels...weird...” He said. “You can call me “Ninja”, all right?”

“All right si- Ninja.”

They went into the laundry room, with tubs of water and dirtied robes. They both knelt by a tub. He showed her how to wash the robes. 

Afterwards they headed to the market.

“This is the market place.” He explained. “We come here to buy groceries and other supplies.”

“It's nice.” The young squire commented.

The Ninja smiled and went to a vendor selling flowers. Out of a pocket he took out some coins. “I'd like one flower please.”  
The woman at the cart smiled and handed him a beautiful, yellow, flower. The Ninja went over to his squire and put the flower in her hair.

The girl relaxed and smiled gently.

That night...

The young squire was about to enter The Squire's Quarters to sleep when her Ninja stopped her.

“Hey...why don't you share my room?” He asked.

The squires froze, waiting for her reply.

“Okay, ninja!” She smiled widely as she followed him.

The other ninjas grumbled to each other about her sleeping in the same room as her ninja. Something they thought only outcasts like Plop Plop and The Red Ninja did. Maybe those she and her ninjas were outcasts now as well? They'd give her time to come to her senses, and they truly hoped she would soon. That she wouldn't have to face trauma similar to that of what The Orange Ninja's squire faced.

Days passed and The Ninja and the girl had gotten closer. One day they were sitting under an apple tree.

“Isn't it wonderful out today?” The Ninja asked.

“Yes, it's very nice da-...Ninja.”

The Yellow Ninja paused for a moment. “W-what did you call me?”

“Ninja?”

“No, before that...”

“...Dad...”

He smiled. “Dad, hm? I like that.”

The squire giggled and the others approached.

“Dad, hmm?” The White Ninja mocked.

The two looked up nervously at the glaring Ninja.

“Brother, how many times have we gone over this?”

“Well..”

“She's your squire, she's lower than you! She can't be your daughter!”

The squire whimpered and hugged her father close. He hugged her. “Brother, please...she's just a little girl...she needs a parent.”

“No she doesn't! Now come to your senses, brother!”

“No! She's my daughter!”

“Well.” The White Ninja smirked. “I guess you two can just join the outcast duo, our stupid brother and his petty little squire.”

The Yellow Ninja's eyes widened. “I'm sorry squire, but...I really, really, don't want to be an outcast.”

His squire started crying and ran off to the squire's quarters.

“This seems familiar, doesn't it?” The Gray Ninja pointed out.

The girl's eyes were red and running with tears. The Orange Ninja's squire frowned and pulled her close.

“Shh shh. It's okay, it's okay.” She comforted. “I'm here for you...I know..I know...it hurts, I know...”

“H-he doesn't love me!” She cried.

The Orange Ninja's squire frowned and brushed her hair gently, humming. The girl's crying went to a soft sniffle and she relaxed in her arms. “I know he doesn't sweetie, I know...But I will love you...I promise..”

The Yellow Ninja's daughter knew the past was behind her, that things were all right now. Once again she was sharing a room with her father. All was good. She yawned and snuggled close to his chest. “Good night, daddy.”

“Good night, sweetheart.”

….....  
Lastly, The Green Ninja was watching his squire sketch a tree, with a nice,big,juicy pear, on one of the branches.

“This is really nice.” The Ninja said.

His squire blushed, but quickly hid it. “T-thanks.”

He wasn't going admit he loved him, at least not yet....or maybe never. This was the first year they'd gotten along, and he felt even if somehow The Green Ninja would return his feelings, this would be way too soon. Twenty something years of hating him added up, and he knew he wouldn't love him right now.

“So, you draw every night?”

“Yeah...and whenever we have some down time.” He admitted. This was a new drawing he started, just so his Ninja wouldn't know about the portrait he was drawing of him. In case he found it creepy. It was hiding under his old sleeping mat in the former squire's quarters.

“Can you teach me to draw?”

“Oh...s-sure!” He tried to hide his blushing again. Ugh! Why does he have to be so cute?

He got him out some paper and they started with the basic shapes: Spheres,cubes,pyramids,prisms, and cones.

“This is rather boring.” He commented.

“This is how you start.” The squire explained. “Soon I'll teach you how to draw things like trees, apples, and everything else.”

The Ninja tried to draw a sphere, but his hand was shaky.  
His shapes were squiggly and messy, and didn’t look even close to what they were supposed to. The cone looked more like a jagged, caved in tooth with an oval bottom. The sphere looked more like a puff ball than anything, the cube wasn’t any better as, even though it kept a square shape, the lines were off balance. The pyramid looked like it was melting, definitely not a good place to place a deceased pharaoh. Finally the rectangular prism...He managed to put a rectangle where the square should be, and a square where the rectangle should be. 

The squire stared at these horrible shapes, wide eyed. “Uh..Let me help you.”

He grabbed his hand and leaned in closer. Their faces were nearly touching at this point. If he’d just turned his head and puckered his lips….

No! I can’t just kiss him! If he doesn’t love me...which he probably doesn’t...It’ll make things awkward between us...Ugh! I just wish he knew how much I love him! Just..just focusing on the drawing….

“Are we going to practice other shapes like ovals, hexagons, hearts, and things like that?”

Hearts! Did he have to bring up hearts!? If I drew a heart, it would probably be broken in pain! 

“Yes...of course...but we’re starting with these, because they’re used the most in art.”

“I see..Even portraits?”

It’s like he knows...What if he does!? He would’ve brought it up by now it he knew, wouldn’t he? 

“Yes...Faces are complex though, each one is different. For example, you have a very round face, and big squared nose. Your ears have attached lobes and your eyes have almost an almond shape.”

“You seem to know a lot about my face.” He smirked.

“Err yes...but that’s because I’ve been serving you all these years. I’m sure all the squires can describe their ninja’s faces..” He came up with quickly.

“True, true...Hey, I think I got the hang of the sphere!”

The squire looked down at the paper and smiled. “Good, good!”

Not even close….

…..  
The Red Ninja and Julius sneaked out of the house, careful not to make a sound. Not that he’d admit to Julius, but, he was afraid if they found out he was going to face The Sorcerer alone, they’d say “We shouldn’t have called the Outcast brother, we should have called you the stupid brother!” or just revert him back to being an outcast.

Julius was scared of this too, mostly for his ninja’s sake though. He didn’t want his ninja to be ridiculed again.

The sky was bright with green and purple light. The screaming of villagers could be heard ahead. They hurried their pace and watched from a distance.

The Sorceress and his new companion were causing more terror throughout the village.

“Julius, stay here.” The Ninja whispered.

Julius frowned, a bit disappointment he couldn't join in, but nodded once. The Red Ninja looked around before springing into action and climbing atop a building. 

The Sorcerer and Sorceress paused their havoc wrecking when they saw The Ninja on the roof, weapon in hand. Quickly he jumped down, attacking many stanks on the way towards them, knowing he'd destank them later.

Who is that with The Sorcerer? His mate? His daughter? Another person turned corrupt? 

After taking out some stanks, the ninja made his way to the two.

The Sorceress felt her heart swell with hate. She’d never felt such anger toward anyone, let alone a ninja. Heck once or twice this exact Ninja had saved her. (Once when the village flooded, he carried her to the flood shelter, and once from a rabid dog.) 

In a movement that felt so natural, she shot stank along with The Sorcerer, aiming at the ninja. Their powerful stank opened a portal, a dark portal.

Without thinking twice, The Red Ninja kicked the new female sorcerer into the portal.

The Sorcerer fell to his knees and yelled, “Ah! What have you done!?”

In reply The Red Ninja kicked him in the face. The Sorcerer fell onto the ground and got to his knees. In a harsh snarl, he repeated his question, “What, have you done!?”

“Who was she?” The ninja demanded, as he pulled out his sword.

“The most beautiful creature I have ever seen!” He hissed, gathering the stank in his hands. “And you took her away from me!”

He shot it at him, and he dodged out of the way. “Well, whoever she was, she’s not a threat anymore!”

The Sorcerer let out an angered scream and shot an even powerful blast of stank. The Red Ninja was caught off guard and was hit. He slid across the dirt, and stopped close to a building.

He winced and groaned a bit as he got up.

Behind the barrel, Julius was still watching, nervously. His heart was pounding, his paws sweating as they gripped the barrel tightly. His tail was curled so tightly it was almost knotted. He could feel his heart pumping in his ears and his body become warm from the blood flow.

“Help! Help!” 

His ears perked up for a moment. For a second, he thought it was his ninja, but it couldn’t be. This voice belonged to a little girl.

He darted his eyes over to where he heard the sound. There standing there, corned against a wall, was indeed a little girl.

Her hair was a black bob cut, her eyes were dark, small, and gentle. Her lips were small and curved. Overall she was very short, especially compared to this monster.

 

The monster was repletion. Although he had the body of a snake, he had the arms of a lizard, with light, watered down, yellow claws. His eyes were the same piercing yellow. Like his body, his tongue was also that of a snake, with four large protruding through the gum line. 

The girl screamed as the snake wrapped his tail around her.

In that moment, all of Julius’ fear vanished. All that seemed to matter now was that little girl. In a sudden rush of adrenaline, he ran towards them. 

The snake was closing in this his fangs when Julius gripped his tail and pulled. He let out a pained hiss and backed off. 

When the snake pulled his attention to Julius, the cat realized he had made a huge mistake. 

The snakish stank lunged at him now instead.

The girl was flustered by her near death experience. Her eyes widened when she saw the one who saved her.

This is one brave cat She figured.

However, little did she know, Julius was terrified.

He ran and ran, like he had become one with the wind. The snake slithered after him, hissing, spit splattering from his tongue.

Julius panted, his paws were starting to ache. When he started to slow down, the stank took his change and whacked him with his tail.

Julius yelped as he hit the ground. The snake let out a laugh sounding hiss as he slithered closer, then wrapped around him. Julius panicked and extended his claws quickly, puncturing the snake's tail.

The stank hissed and recoiled in pain. Julius backed up, but the monster lunged towards him again. Julius leaped out of the way, and the snake's fangs were caught in a barrel, and he struggled to get out.

From the sidelines the girl giggled and cheered him on. “Nice one!”

Julius smiled and bowed to the little girl, making her giggle more. 

“What's your name, little girl?” Julius asked.

“Alice.” The girl replied. “Who are you?”

“Julius.” The cat replied.

“Nice to meet you Julius, are you o- look out!” 

Julius leaped out of the way as the creature tried to claw him from behind. The stank lunged again. Julius grabbed Alice's hand and ran.

However, soon they were cornered. As the monster approached, Julius got defensive, arched his back, extended his claws, and hissed.

The stank didn't seem scared, but Julius kept hissing. Even though both he and Alice had a feeling this would be their end, he couldn't stop. He wanted to protect the girl to the end. He felt it would be unNinja like to give in.  
As the stank drew closer, Julius realized he only had one choice. He lunged forward and bit into the throat, sticking his claws into the neck. 

The stank hissed and tried to push him off with his tail.

Darn it! What do the ninjas do to stop these dang things, again?!

He decided to keep fighting until he remembered. He was knocked off the stank's back and groaned in pain. 

“Julius!” Alice yelled worriedly.

“I'm...fine....” Julius got out, wincing as he stood up. “You better.... get out of here, I don't want him...to get you... again....”

“But...Look out!”

Julius, feeling weaker, ducked out of the clawing monster's way, instead of jumping away. The stank stumbled and fell into an abandoned food cart, still fresh with fruit.

“Who would tell you when to look out?” She giggled.

Julius smirked and raspberried her.

Too engrossed in their teasing they didn't realize the stank's tail bouncing around, trying to locate the cat. When he made contact with Julius, he squeezed tightly.

Julius bit and the stank let go.

I remember now!

Julius scanned the snake over, while dodging his attacks, looking for the thing he held most dear. He spotted a scarf on his neck and pounced up, then clawed it.

The man was destanked and looked dazed. “Uh...What happened?”

“It's okay.” Julius said gently, putting his paw on his back. He'd seen the ninjas do this various times after destanking someone. “It's okay...”

He looked over to Alice who know looked relieved.  
“Come on...I'll take you two to the shelter..” He panted, out of breath. This was also something the ninjas did as well.

The three of them started their trek to the shelter.

“Thanks for saving me.” Alice said. 

“Thanks for watching my back.” Julius said.

…........  
Meanwhile The Sorcerer and The Red Ninja were still engaged in combat.

“You vile ninja! You....Mistake!” The Sorcerer hissed.

The Red Ninja snapped as he usually did to this nickname. He kicked The Sorcerer's face, causing him to fall.

Blood trickled down his lip as his eyes narrowed angrily. He jumped back up to his feet quickly, then gathered stank in his hands. “You Mistake! You got rid of her!”

He shot the stank and the ninja dodged. “I wasn't going to let another one of you terrorize the village!”

The Sorcerer screamed and shot more stank. The Ninja ducked and ran towards him, kicking him the legs. His legs wobbled, but he stood his ground,

“You went too far this time Ninja! I will end you!” In anger he blasted even more stank into the sky.

The ninja panted, out of breath. Fights between the ninja and Sorcerer never went on this long. He couldn't tell if it was because his brothers weren't there to help, The Sorcerer's anger, or a mix of both.

Whatever the case was, this was the most intense battle The Red Ninja had ever been in.

Sweat beaded on his forehead. It rolled down his face into his eyes.

“You’re going to tire out soon,ninja!” The Sorcerer hissed, not knowing he already was tired. He wasn’t going to let it show. He’d never show weakness to his enemies.

“When they find out, ninja, your suit will be the color of your headband!” The Sorcerer snarled. “That is, if they even even identify your corpse afterwards! If not...I’ll tell them. I’m going to take off your mask and have you look me in the eyes as I end you..”

This was The Red Ninja’s initiative to keep fighting. He’d stay alive. He’d stay strong. He’d do both these things. His ultimate motive was to keep Norrisville safe, and everyone alive.

The moon was now full in the sky, shining down on them as a spotlight. Like their fight was performance, a performance the audience themselves were in on. Given how it was going, some speculated there would be no second showing.

At this point even The Sorcerer was worn out. “Tonight...will be...your end...Ninja…”

“I wouldn’t...count on it...Sorcerer…” He panted out.

…..

Julius had arrived to the shelter with Alice and the man.

Inside all the villagers who had made it were huddled together, shivering not only in fear, but from the cold night air. They were babbling to one another, some trying to keep calm, and others discussing and speculating how the fight was going.

“I heard only The Red Ninja was out there fighting.” Commented a woman. “You don’t suppose…”

“Don’t suppose what?” A man finished. “That the other ninjas kicked the bucket? Got turned into those ugly monsters themselves? That Red Ninja flew the coop and went solo? Them other ninjas sided with that lizard?”

“Well...yes..I suppose those are all possibilities.” She said, a bit bewildered by all his theories.

“Those nine work better together as a team.” The man commented. “One of them can’t do all that fightin’, alone. That ninja ought to get some help, or he won’t stand a chance against that...thing…”

“And we have to consider those monsters  he makes too.” The woman said, now starting to agree wholeheartedly.

“Yeah, his darn little o’l flunkies.” He said. “He don’t stand a chance against them alone.”

Julius paused to listen to their conversation, considering the truth in their words very carefully.

“Julius?” Alice asked, startling him slightly. “Oh, sorry. Are you all right?” You zoned out for a bit, and I was worried..”

“Y-yeah I’m fine.” He said, sounding unsure himself. “I’ve...I’ve gotta go…”

Alice frowned. “Aren’t you going to stay in the shelter where it’s safe?”

“Well…” Julius started.

“You’re not really going out there again, are you?” She sounded worried. Her lips pursed and her small eyes were even smaller in fear.

“Yes, I have to...help someone else out there.” For some reason stating he was The Red Ninja’s cat didn’t feel safe.

Alice nodded solemnly, worried for the safety of her hero. “Wait!”

Julius stopped midway out the door and looked over. “Yes?”

“We’ll see each other again right?”

Julius smiled to reassure her, and bowed. “Of course, my lady.”

……..

The Red Ninja was hunched over at this point, completely exhausted.

 

The Sorcerer managed to hurl more stank at him. Although each time he did, he felt a tad weaker.

“This is...for her…” He panted out as he shot more. The Red Ninja leaped out of the way.

He had no idea what exactly had happened to The Sorceress, other than the fact she was gone.  
All that mattered was she wasn’t there causing anymore trouble.

…….  
The Sorceress awoke with blurred vision and an aching head. “Ugh...What happened? Where am I?”

She looked around: The sky was a swirly mix of yellows,reds,purples, and oranges. They all swirled together like the portal that had brought her here in the first place.

She was sitting on a brown floating rock, almost like she was on an island. The rock had a monster’s face carved in, grinning like a Cheshire cat, with small, wild eyes. The jaw holding it’s cylindrical teeth were held in a long rectangular jaw, with a small hog like nose on top. Four layers of rocks about it’s head were formed in non perfect, ruggeded squares and rectangles, put together like a mane. 

Floating in front of her was a reptilian looking one with a curved mouth. It’s mouth was full of uneven sharp looking teeth, some of which overlapped. It’s eyes were smaller than the ones on the rock she was sitting on, and pupiless. It had a bumpy head, and above it were three layers of rocks that formed what looked like a mane made of leaves.

Among the other monstrous rocks were other things. One looked like a beast’s paw, broken off from one of the monster rocks. It had three bumpy toes and three claws protruding, one broken.

On some of the other rocks, The Sorceress saw some that looked like the letters “E”, “G”, and “e”. 

“This is quite a place.” She said, getting up. “I need to find an escape. Once I do, I will reunite with The Sorcerer, and together we will kill that no good, mistake of a ninja!”

She laughed evilly into the sky, then paused. She looked around her surroundings a bit.

“First I need to find a place to rest..” She said. Not only that, but despite her urge to escape she was curious about her surroundings. 

She’d seen some vile things she wished she hadn’t while she was looking around:

One was a field of what looked like the remains of pigs. However, these were still living, and making noises to show this.

“You gross, swine!” She hissed as she made her way through them. 

As if it had been offended by the comment, a pig head bit the bottom of her robe and tugged.

“Ugh! Let go!” She hissed.

In reply, the pig farted.

The Sorceress was even more disgusted and pulled her robe away, now hurrying even faster to get out of the swine field.

When she finally got out, she brushed herself off. “Finally. Now, I must find a stream or something to wash this horrid hog stench off!”

Her eyes widened when she saw the next obstacle. “How odd...What’s all that white stuff?”

As she waded through it she realized what they were: Larva.

“Ugh!” She hissed trying to shake them off. “You slimy beasts, get off!”

The larva were clumped together, and slithering over to the new being in their habitat. “Ugh, you gross,vile,slimy things, get off!”

When she finally got to the other side of the sea of larva, she brushed the remaining of them off, and kept going.

……..

Julius has returned to catch the tail end of the fight.

The Sorcerer and Red Ninja glared each other down. The Sorcerer attacked, hitting his face.

The Red Ninja pulled back and wiped a new stream of sweat he felt rolling down his face. However when he looked down to his hand, there was a dark red stain on the suit’s fabric.

Julius gasped when he saw the blood trickle down his ninja’s face. He wanted desperately to go help him.

He felt the fear well inside him, making him unable to move. He froze in fear as he watched the two battle it out.

The Sorcerer tried to blast more stank, but the stream was much weaker than the other blasts.

“You...are a fierce...fighter,ninja….I will kill you...next time..” He panted out.

The Red Ninja nodded. As much as he wanted to stop The Sorcerer once and for all, he knew he was too tired to do so.

The sun was rising now, shining down orange and yellow onto the village below.

The two went separate ways, with The Sorcerer heading off into the distance, and The Red Ninja heading to the barrels where Julius hid.

Julius grabbed onto his arm and helped him home. 

“You’re limping..” The Red Ninja pointed out.

“Yeah...I know…” Julius winced, still sore.

“Did you get attacked?” He asked worriedly.

“Well...There was this little girl and a stank got her. I had to make a decision...and I fought the stank.” Julius admitted. He had no idea why, but he was nervous to tell him this.

The ninja’s eyes widened. “You what!? Julius, why didn’t you-”

“There wasn’t anything else I could do besides watch her die!” He protested. “I had to help...I lead them both to the shelter.”

“Both?”

“The stank I mean...After he turned human again.”

“You changed him back?” The Red Ninja sounded impressed now rather than worried or angry.

“Yeah….I clawed his scarf and he became human again.” Julius smiled slightly.

“Good work, but don’t put yourself in danger like that again.” The Red Ninja warned. “If anything, I should just leave you at home for now on.”

Julius’ eyes widened. “Please, no! I want to make sure you’re safe! I-”

“Relax...I’m not saying I’m going to, I’m saying I should..”

Julius relaxed, and they continued home.

……  
“Wow daddy, that was an intense battle!” Ortensia commented. She and her father had been watching the fight from a top a roof. 

Her dad had a thing about watching things like this. He said: The greatest things can be missed if you don’t have the keenest eye.

“Yes, it was..” He agreed, nodding slightly. 

“I’m sure it’ll be all over the daily news scroll, daddy.”

“I’m sure it will. You can find out later when you’re delivering the mail.” He said, smirking slightly.

“What?”

“It’s your turn to deliver the mail, little missy, and don’t think you  can weasel your way out of this.”

“But, I’m tired..” She yawned.

“Ortensia.” He chuckled.

She frowned. “Daddy, it’s not funny. Can’t we split the mail today and get it done faster? I’m awful tired…”

“Ortensia.” He chuckled again. “It’s Sunday….We’re not delivering mail today.”

The cat took a minute to process this, and when she did, she giggled. “Oh, daddy, you got me!”

“Yes, I did.” He chuckled more. His daughter yawned and he scooped her up into his arms. Purring gently she snuggled close as she fell asleep. “Hey, you don’t wanna fall asleep yet, do you?”

“Huh?” She asked groggily and half awake. “Why not?”

“I haven’t read you the dog and boar story yet tonight.”

“It’s all right daddy, I mean it memorized...A group of wild hounds gathered in a clearing, while high noon was nearing. The two alphas stood large and proud, and let out howls oh so loud. The Betas and Omegas barked in joy, to their leaders who were very...coy…” She yawned, leaving the story unfinished as she fell asleep.

The Messenger held her close and continued, “In the crowd stood a dog, who was the brown color of a hog. Her fur shaggy and wet, she was quite unkempt. Omega was what she was assigned, it suited her just fine. she loved to….run,skip...and...play….” He drifted off to sleep too, holding his daughter close.

…….

The Ninja and Julius had made it home. Waiting for them were the eight other ninjas, their squires, Plop Plop, and Oswald.

“Brother! Where were you!?” The White Ninja demanded.

“The Sorcerer was attacking and he-”

“Wait, The Sorcerer?” The White Ninja interrupted. “Why didn’t you wake us up!?”

“I didn’t want to disturb you.” He admitted, not looking him in the eye.

“Disturb us? Brother if the village is in danger, by all means please disturb us!”

“He’s bleeding…” The Gray Ninja pointed out.

Plop Plop and Oswald hurried over to their injured friend.

“S-so is Julius…” The White Ninja’s squire said.

“Julius...” Oswald said in a worried sadness, his ears folding down.

Julius looked at his arm, to his surprise he actually was bleeding. He hadn't noticed before. As if to make sure it was real he wiped the blood onto his paw and looked at it.

“Did you make him fight with you?” Asked The White Ninja. 

“No, I decided to fight on my own.” Julius said. “There was a little girl in danger, and I..I saved her.”

The Ninjas looked to each other, as if they were able to confirm his story. 

Julius winced as he grabbed his arm more.

The White Ninja sighed in defeat. “Brother, what you did was stupid. You could have been killed!”

“I am aware.”

The White Ninja sighed again. “You and Julius rest...We'll do the morning patrol.”

“I'm fine..” The Red Ninja reassured. He winced as he stepped towards them though.

“Please rest...In fact you can think of this as punishment for doing something so dumb.” The White Ninja said, however his tone made it clear he was saying this jokingly.

The Red Ninja smiled a bit under his mask and nodded once. “Come on Julius, Plop Plop, Oswald..”

The four of them headed to their room as The Ninjas and their squires went out.

…......  
The Sorcerer was still looking for a place to rest, far away from the village. His living situation varied from day to day. He slept wherever he could find an empty place to be. Last night he'd slept in a hog barn, but those swine were way too loud to think about sleeping there again. That and the farmer's dog kept barking and growling all night.

When he passed a cave he smelled a familiar scent...The Sorceress.

Could it be? Is she hiding in that cave?

He limped inside and looked around. Nothing. Empty.

Well maybe not empty.....

The rocks were dripping past rain down on the ground below. Some holes were making tiny ponds of water that rippled when a new drop fell in.

“She's not here...” He said, disappointment. A small squeaking directed his attention to the ground. A small rat was looking at him.   
Her eyes were a pure white, as were her jagged teeth. Her fur was a dark gray and her whiskers were twisted slightly.

She let out a squeak.

The rat had been expecting The Sorceress to return, not The Sorcerer. 

“You...” The Sorcerer sniffed. “You smell like her.”

The rat squeaked again. He picked her up and her squeaking became fearful. She was shaking quite a bit. The Sorcerer stroked one of his fingers down her back, and she relaxed.

“That ninja will pay for whatever he has done to her!” He snarled. “She was the only true beautiful thing I'd ever seen.”

The rat squeaked sadly, realizing her new friend was gone.

The Sorcerer stroked her back more. “I need to rest little rat, as do you. When I'm no longer so tired, I'll get that Ninja back!”

He yawned and settled down into a dry corner and closed his eyes. The rat crawled under his arm and snuggled close to his robe. He was no Sorceress, but he would do.  
…........  
The Sorceress was winded when she came across a cave to sleep in. 

Finally! If I came across anymore swine or larva, I would have screamed. Hmm, well this place is sure dryer than the other cave.

She wandered down the cave and looked around. It was dark, yet the orangish-yellow-purple light was bouncing off the rocks, giving it some light. 

“Hello.” A voice startled her.

In surprise The Sorceress hissed and turned to face the man who spoke. 

The man in question was chained by his wrists on the cave wall. He was bald, but his eyebrows were gray. His eyes an olive green. The shirt he was wearing was a greenish-gray with blue trimming, and half open. The pants who wore were a light red with yellow designs on them. His hat was on his back, tied onto his neck.

He looked surprised when he saw her face. “Are you...wait you can't be...Who are you?”

“I am The Sorceress!” She hissed, not noticing the orbs around her neck were glowing rapidly in his presence. 

“The Sorceress?” He asked in a mix of concern and surprise. He paused. “Do you...Know The Sorcerer.”

“Yes! I fought alongside him until The Ninja brought me here!” She hissed again.

The man frowned. “The Norisu Nine just want to keep the village s-”

“I don't care what they want, I hate them!” She hissed again. “And I'm not going to hang around with someone whose fine with those horrid ninjas running around and ruining everything.”

She started heading towards the pile of bones.

“Wait...I wouldn't go there if I were you?”

“And why not?” The Sorceress asked, annoyed and raising a brow.

“There's a monster back there.” He shook as he said this.

“A monster? You think I'm scared of a monster?” She asked.

“Well I uh...” He looked away. “I-it's not you who would be s-scared...”

“I see...Well I might as well stay here as I plan my escape.” She said, sitting down. It was then she noticed her necklace of orbs glowing. 

“Odd...”

…..

In Norrisville, The Sorcerer's orbs started glowing rapidly, waking him. In confusion he held them, and the rat pressed her nose to it and sniffed curiously. 

What is going on with these things? He heard from the orb. The voice...It was so familiar...

“Is that you?” He asked the orb, cautiously. The rat squeaked in joy, hoping it truly was her.

Sorcerer? Yes it is me!

“Where are you?” He asked seriously, yet relieved.

…...  
The Sorceress looked to the man chained to the wall for an answer.

“The Land of Shadows.” He answered.

“The Land of Shadows...” She told the ball.

….......

“The Land of Shadows?” The Sorcerer repeated. “Hmm I see..”

I am planning my escape as we speak. Soon we'll be back together and can take over Norrisville together!

The Sorcerer smirked. “Yes, my dear! We will rule together with an iron fist, and spread fear throughout!”

…....

The Sorceress blushed. Did he just call me “Dear”? 

She was glad only the man was there, she didn't want The Sorcerer to see her blush, as she saw it as a sign of vulnerability. 

“Yes! But will you promise me something?”

Of course my dear, anything you please

The Sorceress blushed again at the nickname. She had to pause for a moment so she wouldn't stumble on her words or choke. “Get revenge for me! Stop that vile ninja! Kill him for me!”

I plan to. I won't let you down my dearest companion

The man hanging on the wall frowned worriedly. He was afraid if he spoke up against them, The Sorceress would kill him. 

He knew the power of The Sorcerer first hand:

He had once been a humble peddler in Norrisville, selling everything and anything.

One this particular day he'd been selling apples.

“Good day madam.” He said, bowing for effect. “Would you like to buy an apple?”

The woman pursed her lips. “I-I'm terribly sorry sir, but I have little money...And I probably can't afford an apple...I can only afford foods like nuts and berries.”

The peddler frowned. Feeling pity for the woman he handed the bag over. 

“Here, they're yours.” He said gently, with a wide smile.

“A-are you sure, sir?” The woman asked. 

“Yes, you need them way more than I do.” He said with a smile as he handed them over.

The woman fished into her bag and pulled out the remaining money she had.  
“No, no.” He said. “It's all right, just take them.”

“Thank you.” The woman smiled and left.

Once she was gone, The Peddler sighed and walked off.

I need to stop giving away my supply like this. I need to eat too...

He sighed and trudged along in the village and looked around. His eyes set on the very successful vendors who managed to turn a profit everyday. They were living like kings, or in this case like Ninjas.

Speaking of Ninjas, The White Ninja and his squire were the ones at the market place today, getting food for the ninjas.

The Peddler always wondered what what made the squire so nervous and shaky. His ninja seemed kind enough to him. He'd seen him many times put a hand on his squire's shoulder, but that made the squire more tense.

His stomach growled. My goodness, was he hungry! Knowing they sometime had left over scraps he went back over to the vendors.

“No, sorry, nothing today.” Said one of the vendors, shaking head sadly. He felt bad, but he knew if he gave away his supply like The Peddler did, he would be in the same situation as him.

The other vendors gave the same reply to him. Well one them told him, “Buzz off you scavenger! I have a respective business to run here and you’re ruining it for me! Shoo! Shoo!”

Still hungry he walked off sadly and sighed. He headed over to the creek. The creek was a place where he found relaxation and peace. Sometimes he’d stare into the water and imagine he was a carp, swimming in the water.

The carp was their village's animal. Not only due to the abundance of them, but they saw these fish as majestic, free, beautiful. 

When the village had a festival, paper carps and other decorations of the sort flew proudly through the air.

Despite this appreciation they were still eaten often. The Peddler always found that kind of odd. Killing something that was admired so much that is.

As he approached the creek he saw something glowing and his eyes widened curiously. 

It was a green orb, glowing. The water around it flashed the water it’s same hue.

The humble peddler leaned down and picked up the ball. The mist inside of it swirled and The Peddler felt it surge through him.

His skin became a wrinkly dark green. His large olive green eyes became small and white. The fingers on his hand became frail and wrinkled, the tips were almost like claws. The sandals were still there, so was his hat, but in that case the poof at the end was longer and stretched out. His robe was a mix of greens, the main part being seafoam green, while the sleeve trimming was bluish-green, the pants almost an olive color. Around the neck it was a dark green with light yellow designs. 

He looked at his reflection and snarled. He had intended to gasp, but that wasn’t what happened.

“I am a monster!” He yelled. However he felt the power rush through him and honestly, it felt amazing! “....Not that, that’s a bad thing.”

…….

In The Shadow Dimension The Peddler awoke, dazed. He looked up his hands were chained to the cave’s wall.

His screaming prompted a response from a smooth, yet menacing voice, “You seeeem streeeessed out…”

Nervously The Peddler looked over to where the voice was coming from.

Out of the shadows came a creature. Her fur was a fluff of black fur, like a dust bunny, eyes a piercing dark green, the teeth in her mouth were different sizes, shapes, and sharpness levels. Her paws held four sharp claws on each toe. Behind her was trail of black mist, that flew in front of her face often, clouding the view of her, like a camouflage. 

“Hellllooo.” She hissed in a drawn out way. 

“W-who are you?” The Peddler whimpered out.

“My naaaame’s Blurryfaaaaaace.” She hissed.

“W-where am I?” He asked, looking around, very scared. 

“The Land of Ssssshaaaadows!” Blurryface said this in a laughing hiss. “Your ssssoul became currouptttteed by a Chaos Peeearl. Your ssssoul now ressssides heeere.”

“Corrupt? Me? But,...I..I’m but a humble peddler. I-”

“The Chaaaaaaos Peeearls don’t caaaare whoooo you aaarrre. They’ll take over aaaanyone who daaaares pick it uuuuuup.” She hissed again. “You’ll be staying here as my priiiissooner.”

The Peddler gulped. “Y-your prisoner?”

“Yeeeees.” Blurryface confirmed. “Unless..”

“Unless?”

“Unless, by some miiiiracle, your soul is saaaaaved.” She chuckled a bit. “But that’s doubtfuuuul.”

“Can you atleast let me down?” He pleaded.

“Hm...Let me thiiiiiink….No, you fooool! I’m not giving you a chaaaance to escape!” She hissed again. “I must check on my ooooother prisoners. I will be back to cheeeck on you. Maybe not today, tommoooorow, a month, a year, or a ceeeenutary, but I will come baaack.”

With that she went back into the shadows. Blurryface turned around one more time, pointed to the bone pile and added, “I hope you don’t miiiiind a liiiiiittle coooompany.”

With that, Blurryface retreated into the shadows.

…….

In that moment The Peddler wondered if this Sorceress’s soul was here somewhere as well.

…….

Indeed she was, and Blurryface herself was giving her a look over.

“Niiiiice. You are a loooovely new addition.” She chuckled.

“Get away from me!” She yelled.

“Noooo, my dear..” She laughed.

“Blurryface?” Squeaked a small voice.

She looked down to see her small squire, a white mouse-like creature, with uneven front buck teeth, one broken at the tip. His tail was callused and thick. The fur on his head was messy and unkempt. He he a notch in each ear, and two grayish blue wings upon his back. The feathers were ruffled and messy.

“Yeeees, Sukoshi?” She replied.

“Well, um, about this new prisoner. Her corrupt form is here in The Shadowland.”

“She is?” The young woman asked. “Can I see her?”

“No!” Blurryface hissed. “I’m not letting you essssscape!”

She turned to her squire, “Only the prissssoners are under my jurisssssdiiiictioon, you know thiiisss!”

“I-I just thought you wanted to kn-”

“Don’t waste my tiiiiime with this nonessseeense. I can’t control beingsssss like heeer.” Blurryface said. “Let her sssstaay.”

“Of course, Blurryface.” He bowed.

The woman frowned, knowing this was where she’d be stuck.

………..

As The Sorcerer surveyed the town, with his new rat friend on his shoulder, he didn’t catch sight of The Red Ninja, only his brothers and their respective squires.

He sighed and turned to the rat. “How can I avenge her if that dreaded Ninja is nowhere in sight!”

When he saw The Blue Ninja again with his squire, he got an idea. His frown turned into a twisted grin as he laughed.

…..

The Blue Ninja was at least making an attempt to talk more to his squire. They were doing the basic “Get-to-know-you” routine, that was 20 years overdue.

“Favorite color?” The Blue Ninja asked.

“Red.” He replied, gripping onto his robe. “But, if I had the correct colored robe, it might’ve been blue.”

The Blue Ninja smirked again. “Hey, my favorite color isn’t blue.”

“It’s not?” The squire sounded confused.

“No. It’s brown.” 

“Brown? Hmm...Why?” The squire was curious now. That and he wasn’t sure how else to steer this conversation. He didn’t want it to stop though. They’d been living in the shared silence for far too long.

“I’m not particularly sure myself, squire. Perhaps it’s because it reminds me of the earth.” 

“I see..” He looked down at his robe, then the dirt. Yep, his robe was still a better color than the ground.

“Brown is also the color of….The Sorcerer!”

The squire looked puzzled. “Really? I always thought he was a greenish colo- oh...Oh!”

“Yes, you are correct.” The Sorcerer laughed. He started to gather stank into his hands, “All though, I’m sure I’d look great in brown!”

He shot the stank at the two. The ninja ducked and pulled his squire down with him.

“Let's not make this difficult.” The Sorcerer said, gathering a ball of stank in each hand this time. He shot at them multiple times. Each time the ninja dodged and pulled his squire along with him.

This may be more difficult than I thought….

To take them off guard, he blasted stank away from them. Not anticipating this, the ninja with squire in tow, accidentally jumped into the stank.

The two turned into monsters.

The Ninja: He was a dark blue (The color as his headband) dog and rat looking hybrid. The inside of of his notched ears was a lighter blue. His eyes were the piercing inside of a lemon yellow, his nose on the end of his dotted muzzle stuck out. Inside his mouth were four sharp fangs in the front, with smaller yet still as sharp teeth in the back. His tail was ragged, long, and thin. The back of his legs, his chest and cheek bore this same ruffling. 

The squire: He was a bug stank. His head, eyes, antennae and claws were like a praying mantis. However he claws and antennae were heavily spiked. Under his eyes were two spots each. His feet looked more like a frog’s feet than anything. Behind him were two scuffed wings.

The Sorcerer smirked at his creatures. Since he has control over them, he could’ve sent them to kill the remaining Ninjas.

But what would be the fun in that?

Leading them with the stank, he lead the two creatures closer. They stood still as The Sorcerer took The Blue Ninja’s sword, and slashed their throats.

They destanked and the two corpses limply laid on top of each other. Their eyes were closed, their necks bleeding.  
The Sorcerer laughed, happy they were dead, and knowing what it would do to The Red Ninja’s emotions. He’d be in turmoil, and The Sorcerer knew this.

He lifted their bodies and placed them in a deserted spot to start a pile.

“Now who’s next?” He asked no one in particular (Although the rat was listening), as he rubbed his hands together.

 

The next victims, The Green Ninja and his squire were walking through the village, patrolling.

“Do you see anything?” The Green Ninja asked his squire.

The squire put his hand to his eyes to block out the sun and looked around “Hmm...No, not a thing!”

“We need to be on a look out, just in case The Sorcerer comes back.” He explained.

“Didn't he just fight your brother?” The squire asked. “Isn't he resting.”

The Green Ninja let out a dry chuckle. “The Sorcerer is an all powerful being. Even though my brother is tired, he might not be.”

“Oh...right...” 

The Ninja decided to change to the subject. “So....we're going to draw more tonight, right?”

“Right!” The squire said, perking up. He tried to hide the blushing looking at his ninja was causing. Even with the mask on, he was still attractive to his squire.

“After patrol why don't we buy some more art supplies?” The Ninja asked. “Some high quality supplies.”

“Really?” His squired sounded excited.

“Yes, of course.” He replied. “You are a great artist, and with proper supplies, you can get fame from your art.”

“You think so?”

Before The Ninja could reply, The Sorcerer did. “The last piece of art you'll do is painting the town red....with your blood!”

“Sorcerer!” The Green Ninja yelled.

“You're very smart, Stubborn one.” The Sorcerer joked.  
The Ninja glared at his nickname. Like The Red Ninja, hearing his nickname by The Sorcerer empowered him to fight.

He took out his sword and lunged forward. The Sorcerer dodged, causing the ninja to crash into some barrels. He quickly dusted himself off and charged again, this time hitting The Sorcerer. 

The Sorcerer let out a scream of pain and smacked the Ninja. He did a somersault and landed back on his feet, glaring the monster down.

The Sorcerer had a sick, twisted smile. The Ninja wondered that lied beneath that smile, as he stared into his cold jaded eyes.

“You won't win this fight, Stubborn One.” The Sorcerer warned, gathering more stank.

The Ninja took a breath and managed to dodge the next stank blast. He glared at him

“Of course I'll win you green freak! I'll be protecting Norrisville for the rest of my life!”

“I wouldn't count on that...” He laughed. “I've already gotten one of you.”

The Green Ninja froze. “What?”

“Hot Head and his squire perished under my wrath!”

“I...Don't believe you!”

“Oh, you don't?” He turned to the rat on his shoulder. “You hear that? He doesn't believe me. Ha!”

He turned back to his enemy. “Why don't I show you their bodies?”

“I don't...believe you...” Tears prickled his eyes. As much as he didn't believe, he thought there was a small chance he was being truthful. Why wouldn't he boast about a murdering of one of his brothers? He needed to block his words out and keep fighting.

He yelled as he charged again with his sword. However, The Sorcerer's words had put his mind elsewhere, allowing The Sorcerer to grab the sword and jab it straight through The Ninja's heart.

He coughed up blood, and his knees buckled. He fell, clutching his chest close.

“No!” His squire cried out, tears rolling down his eyes. He hurried over. When he was on his knees, he stroked the ninja's hair gently. “N-ninja?”

“My squire...” He mustered out. 

 

P-please- please-d-d-don-don't d-d-die...p-please no...” He sobbed.

“I-I'm sorry, but...” He coughed up more blood. “I-it's my time.”

“B-b-but...I love you!”

The Green ninja's eyes widened. Using the last of his strength, he wrapped a shaky arm around his squire. He pushed his squire down to him and pressed his lips against his as hard as he could, until he went limp.

His squire cried more and pulled the sword out of his chest, then, to The Sorcerer's surprise, stabbed it into his own chest. He coughed up blood as he hugged his ninja close. He pressed his lips against his, their blood mixing, and died kissing him.

The Sorcerer laughed. This time the rat joined in. The Sorcerer smiled and petted her head with his finger. “That's my girl! Come on, lets get these bodies in the pile!”

…....

The Purple Ninja was walking with his squire who was cracking jokes.

“Oh, oh, I got a good one!” The squire giggled. “What do you call a giant mouse?”

“What?” The Ninja asked, trying to not let it show he hated her jokes.

“The Big Cheese!” She laughed.

The Ninja forced a laugh. “Good one!”

“You wanna heard another one?” She asked excitedly.

“Of course.” He said, smiling.

“All right-”  
“What's the best kind of ninja? ” The Sorcerer finished.

The two's eyes widened.

“A dead one!” With that he blasted stank at them.

The two got hit and stumbled back into a wall. The Sorcerer loomed over the two who ached from the throw. 

Getting onto his knees, the ninja stood in front of his squire protectively, in the way a hound protecting his fox friend from a hunter would.

In that perfect world though, the hunter would've back down, would've let the fox (and the hound), live. 

 

However, this wasn't a perfect world.....

 

…....

The Yellow Ninja was walking through the market place with his daughter.

He smiled as he looked at her, smiling gently, feeling free for once.

“It's an nice day today, daddy.” She said, happily.

The Ninja smiled at her. “Yes my lovely daughter, it is.”

“Are we going to visit Suzume and her dads today?” She asked.

“Of course. Did I ever tell you, everyday I'm thankful for meeting her? Thankful that she made me realized how important you are to me? Thankful t-”

“Yes daddy.” She said, playfully rolling her eyes. “Everyday.”

“Sorry.” He got bashful

They passed by a vendor selling beautiful purple and white flowers. He saw his daughter looking at them, her eyes wide with wonder at how pretty they were.  
“I'll take one.” The Yellow Ninja said, taking out some money.

“Sir, you're a ninja, I cannot accept money from you.” The woman said.

The man frowned. “Why not?”

“You protecting the village is all the payment I need. Here, take it.” She held a flower out to him

The Ninja felt bad for not paying, despite her insistence, but took the flower. He turned to his daughter and placed it behind her ear.

She giggled and they continued on.

“Aw, how cute!” The Sorcerer chimed in. “A father-daughter lovey, dovey moment....Blagh! It's absolutely vile!”

“Sorcerer!” The Ninja said, standing in front of his daughter for protection.

“Hello, little one.” The Sorcerer said in a mock sweet voice.

“You stay away from her!” The Ninja warned, taking his sword out and pointing it in The Sorcerer's face.

“Want me to tell you a secret about your daddy?” The Sorcerer asked her.

The Yellow Ninja narrowed his eyes. What was this evil creature up to?

“You know how your “daddy” had a squire before you?”

“Y-yes?”

What's he going to tell her? That I killed him? That I gave him cholera somehow? What could he possibly-

“Well, your “father” didn't even show up to his funeral.” The Sorcerer said.

The girl faced her dad. “Is...is that true?”

“Yes, but...No one did! I mean the other squires and The Red Ninja did, but...I didn't...I didn't think.”

“What? That he didn't deserve your respect? Because he was a squire?”

“No!....Yes...But..Listen to me please, I-”

The Sorcerer noticed the young squire's emotions were taking over. He got his stank ready and started to turn her into a monster. 

“Sorcerer, stop!” He yelled. “You leave my daughter alone!”

Unfortunately his daughter became a stank: Her fur was a light yellow, her eyes were only slightly lighter. Her body was like a fluff ball with two think attenaes with two other fluff balls on top. The teeth were as sharp as spikes, and so were the claws on her bird-toed feet.

She let out a roar and and wiped her feline paws at The Yellow Ninja. Not wanting to hurt her, he ducked out of the way. 

While avoiding his squire's attacks, the ninja looked for something to break and destank her with.

The Sorceress grinned. “Oh,Shaky, it's no use. The only way to stop her is to kill her.”

While this was true, it wasn't the only solution. The Ninja could have sacrificed himself and saved his daughter, but the pressure of the situation did not give him time to examine other solutions.

“I-I can't kill her...S-she's my d-daughter..” He whimpered out. 

“Well then...We can watch her destroy Norrisville together, or, wait for one of your brothers to take her down.”

His eyes widened again. “No! Please I'm begging you, spare my daughter! Please!”

“And why should I,ninja scum?” 

“B-because...I...” He paused and looked over to his daughter destroying the village, the villagers running for their lives. She swiped her paws, killing two people.  
It was then something in The Yellow Ninja snapped, and his hero instincts took over. He rushed over with his sword and stabbed her chest.

The stank let out a pained cry before destanking. Her once again human corpse laid on the ground. The Yellow Ninja knelt down and picked her up. “M-my d-daughter.”

While he was grieving, The Sorcerer stabbed him with a sharpened piece of wood.

…...  
The Orange Ninja was holding his squire's hand as they walked through the village, looking for any trouble. They didn't know what would await them, or the fate the others had faced.

The squire blushed as she looked to her ninja. Not able to help herself, she leaned in and gave him a quick peck on the cheek (Even though it was on the mask.)

From the limited amount of face she could see, he was blushing. She giggled.

“I love you.” She said.

“I love you too.” He replied, giving her hand a tight squeeze.

“Your love disgusts me!” The Sorcerer spat.

“You know nothing about love!” The Orange Ninja sneered, pulling out his sword.

“Oh, but if you insist on loving her...I might was well give you your wedding present now..” In front of them he dropped The Yellow Ninja squire's corpse.

The Orange Ninja's eyes glossed over. “M-m-m-my d-d-dau-daughter...You killed her!”

“Look at her hand..” The Sorcerer replied. 

In the fallen squire's hand he'd placed a spare orange headband, and splattered some of her blood on it for effect.

In her rage she turned to her Ninja. “It was you!?”

“W-what?!” He was terrified of her fury.

“You killed my daughter!?”

“I-I'd n-never kill anyone, I-” He was too shaky to stop her from taking his sword and jabbing it into his head.

Once he stopped moving, the squire cried and went to her daughter's corpse, then held it close.  
“It's such a shame isn't it? Not being able to trust the one you love, hm?” The Sorcerer asked. The squire didn't reply, she kept sobbing. “What's an even bigger shame is not trusting the one you love.”

The Orange Ninja looked up. If looks could kill.... “So it was you! I-I killed...I just...I...”

The Sorcerer knelt down and gently places his hands on her face and neck. “Shh shh...there, there, it will be all right...” 

He tightened his grip and cracked her neck.

….....

The next two, The Gray Ninja and his squire were the easiest to kill. When The Sorcerer climbed a building he'd managed to get a clear shot from behind. He'd been quiet enough so they didn't hear him, he supposed.

He faced his rat and let out a quiet, low, chuckle. “This will be too easy, girl...”

He gathered his stank and blasted them on full power, causing the two to tumble down the road, causing them head trauma, that lead to their death.

“Like I said girl, too easy.

…................

Lastly The White Ninja and his squire were walking through Norrisville.

The Ninja paused. “Please excuse me squire, I need to use the bathroom. Will you stay here?”

“O-of course.” The squire replied, smiling weakly and giving a small nod.

The Sorcerer had the perfect plan to finish this Ninja off. Using his stank he created a disguise, then walked out.

“O-oh! Ninja! T-that was fast.” The squire said.

“It was a false alarm.” The Sorcerer said, disguising his voice as well. He paused for a moment. “Will you please come here, squire?”

“O-of course!” He said with his usual weak smile. He walked foreward.  
The Sorcerer raised his hand and smacked him across the face.

He whimpered and fell backwards. Then the squire grabbed his cheek and whined, looking up with scared, puppy dog, eyes. 

The Sorcerer then pulled his hair and kneed him in the chin, causing him to cry out more. The Sorcerer kept going until most of his teeth were knocked loose.

Finally he removed his sword and stabbed the squire, whom fell to the ground and bled out.

The Ninja returned and looked at his squire's corpse in absolute horror. “O-oh m-m-my g-good—goodness...I-I...”

He looked up and managed a looked of puzzlement mixed with his anguish. 

“Hello, Feisty one.”

“Sorcerer!” He snarled.

“Yes, you're quite clever aren't you.” He chuckled. “Well, not for long, you can't be clever without a...Brain!”

He jabbed the sword towards his head, but he ducked out off the way, and kicked The Sorcerer's stomach, causing him to revert to his normal form.

“Oh my Feisty One, you're very strong despite your losses.” He chuckled.

“Losses? As in..plural?” He asked.

“Yes, seven of your brothers and their squires...I'm sorry I didn't get around to telling you sooner.”

“No...you...you're lying!”

“Oh am I?” He sneered. “Follow me...”

The White Ninja was hesitant, and gripped his sword tightly so he'd be ready in case it was a trap. He nodded once, firmly, trying to hold back tears from his squire's death.

The Sorcerer was smirking as he picked up The White Ninja's squire's body to add to the pile, and while he lead the ninja to the body pile.  
When he saw the pile, The White Ninja couldn't hide his emotions anymore and broke down, falling to his knees. He turned to The Sorcerer. “I-I can't l-l-live without them....Kill me! Just kill me!”

“With pleasure.” The Sorcerer chuckled. He borrowed the ninja's sword and stabbed him. Once he went limp, in the pile he went.

He smirked at the orbs on his belt, rubbing one gently. “Soon my dear Sorceress, I'll break that....Mistake!”


	6. Chapter 6

The Sorcerer waited outside of the home of the (former) Norisu Eight.

 

The rat upon his shoulder let out a small, confused, squeak. The Sorcerer turned to her, “Why are we waiting?”

 

The rat squeaked again.

 

“Well, I suppose we could awake him. However I want him to come to me. I want to see the look of surprise on his face when he sees me. I want to see that surprise quickly well into anger, and then as I lead him to the pile of bodies, utter defeat and sadness. As he mourns their loss, I'll get him from behind! When I take over Norrisville, I'll be able use my power to free my dear Sorceress from The Land of Shadows, and together we will take cause terror throughout the land!”

 

As he let out an evil laugh, the little rat joined in.

 

…....

 

Inside, The Ninja was still resting, holding Julius close to his chest.

 

His purring was low, and he was snuggling as close as possible. His paws were chafed and near the point of bleeding, like his arm had been. Speaking of his arm, the bleeding had stopped, and now it just lay sore by his side. Besides all the pain he felt from his ears to his tail, he was absolutely exhausted.

 

As was his Ninja. The cut that trickled blood down his face had clotted. His feet and arms ached so badly, and his back was creaking. Despite the pain, he was basically squishing Julius against his chest.

 

Nearby sat Plop Plop, The Messenger,Oswald, and Ortensia, sipping tea. They left a cup for The Ninja and Julius for when they woke up.

 

“So, you saw the battle?” Oswald asked The Messenger.

 

He nodded slightly.

 

“Daddy always likes to watch the fights.” Ortensia explained, sipping her tea lightly. “Sometimes I come along too, and we sit on roofs or behind barrels to watch.”

 

Plop Plop got mad. “Then why didn't you come here and tell us!?”

 

“Shh, The Ninja is sleeping.” Ortensia hushed.

 

Oswald looked nervous, fiddled with his fingers and folded his ears down. “Y-yeah...you should have...w-woken us up...”

 

The three of them looked over at Oswald, confused by his nervousness.

 

“Oswald, my sweetie bun, are you all right?” Ortensia asked gently, putting a paw on his shoulder.

 

The rabbit stiffened to her touch, causing her to frown. “I-I'm f-fine my h-honey b-bun...Just...worried...about...N-ninja and Ju-Julius...”

 

“You weren't this worried a second ago.” Plop Plop pointed out, cocking his eyebrow.

 

“O-oh, well I uh, um...I uh...” He fiddled with his thumbs more and bent his ears every which way. “I didn't. I-I mean...”

 

“Oswald...” Plop Plop said, impatient and annoyed.

 

“Okay, okay! I knew they went off to fight The Sorcerer!” He admitted.

 

“And you didn't wake me up....Why!?” Plop Plop was mad.

 

“Shh!” Ortensia hushed again.

 

“Stop it, Ortensia, I'm mad right now!” He yelled. He turned back to Oswald, “Why?”

 

“Because..well I uh...I..uh..th-they...they...they seemed to ha-have it u-under c-con-control...I-I thought they..they'd be f-f-fine.” Oswald whimpered out.

 

“You though they'd be fine taking out a giant, green, lizard, wizard-demon thing on their own!?” He yelled, ignoring Ortenstia's hushing again.

 

“I-I th-thought they-they were gon-gonna g-get the o-other Nin-ninjas.” Oswald admitted.

 

Plop Plop softened. Oswald had good enough reason to believe this. He didn't mean any harm...He just wanted Norrisville to be safe.

 

“Oswald...” Plop Plop sighed in defeat. “Just...don't...next time, just don't!”

 

“Y-y-yes Pl-Plop Plop...” Oswald said, shaking a little bit still. He grabbed his cup which shook with him as he brought it up to his lips and took a small sip.

 

Ortensia smiled as she sipped her tea, glad now the ninja could get some peace and quiet to sleep.

 

However that wasn't the case. Plop Plop turned to her next. “That doesn't explain why _you_ two didn't wake me up.”

 

Ortensia froze nervously. Unlike her mate, she didn't really have an excuse. “Well...we uh...assumed you knew, I guess....”

 

Plop Plop narrowed his eyes, but nodded once,firmly.

 

Ortensia sighed in relief and drank more tea.

 

…...

 

The Sorcerer and the rat sat outside the house, anticipating the ninja's arrival any moment.

 

The rat let out a sigh sounding squeak.

 

“Hush now.” The Sorcerer said. “It won't be long now.”

 

The rat hissed and growled impatiently, while tapping her tail and paw on his shoulder.

 

“Trust me, we don't want to rush this.” The Sorcerer said, petting her head with one finger. The rat relaxed and let out a small, peaceful, squeak.

 

 

Although soon after, she was bored again. The Sorcerer sighed in annoyance. “If you're so bored, why don't I go over my plan with you?”

 

The rat squeaked in approval.

 

“We'll wait for the ninja to awake and come outside. When he sees me, there's no doubt he'll start attacking right away. I of course will fight back, but not enough to take him down. He'll get a few hits in, but he won't take me down. I'll run through the village, and we'll near the pile of bodies. Then he'll undoubtedly stop and mourn his losses. While he's on his knees in front of the pile, sobbing, I'll attack him from behind. I'll add his corpse to the pile, and spread havoc around the non protected village. Once I have gathered enough power, I'll open a portal to The Land of Shadows, and bring my dearest Sorceress back. Together we'll be unstoppable, and can take over the whole world!”

 

As he laughed, the rat joined in with happy squeaks.

 

….........

 

The Red Ninja groaned lightly as he opened his eyes. His vision was slightly blurred and he felt groggy. He was smudges of blue,black,pink,beige,orange,and other colors in front of his eyes. He rubbed them and sat up, and Plop Plop, Oswald,Ortensia, Julius, and The Messenger came into focus.

 

Julius woke up when he sat up, having fallen onto the bed. He was groggy as well and sat up. His ears rang and he rubbed his head.

 

“Hey, we made you tea.” Ortensia said, holding the cups out for them. They each sat with their friends and drank tea.

 

Despite having been sitting for a while, the tea was still fairly warm. Their throats were scratchy and dry, and the tea helped a bit.

  
  


The Ninja put his cup down. “Have my brothers returned?”

  
  


“Not yet.” Ortensia said. “They’re still patrolling.”

  
  


“Odd..” The Ninja said. “They should have been back by now…”

  
  


“I’m sure they’ll be back soon.” The Messenger said.

  
  


“Speaking of your brothers…” Plop Plop started. Oswald, Ortensia, and The Messenger looked over. “I mean I hate to say this, but I agree with your brothers this time….What the heck were you thinking!? This is the most stupid thing you’ve ever done! I hate to say that too, because you’re usually smarter than this! You-”

  
  


“Plop Plop!” The Ninja scolded.

  
  


The squire quieted. “S-sorry I just...you...you..I was...worried.”

  
  


“It’s fine, Plop Plop.” The Ninja reassured, putting his hand on his shoulder in comfort.

  
  


Once he finished his tea,The Ninja stretched and stood up, before heading towards the door.

  
  


“Where are you going?” Plop Plop asked.

  
  


“To join patrol?” The Ninja said, sounding dumbfounded by this question.

  
  


“But, you’re still hurt...” Ortensia pointed out, worriedly.

  
  


“I’ll be fine.” He reassured. “I’ve been through worse. Besides, it’s my duty to protect the village. I can’t let being a bit sore stop me…”

  
  


“At least let us come with…” Plop Plop begged.

  
  


The ninja sighed in defeat. “All right...You five may come as well….”

  
  


They all headed out of the building and came face to face with The Sorcerer.

  
  


For a split second The Sorcerer’s eyes widened. He was surprised there were others accompanying The Ninja this time.

  
  


_Perhaps they’re paranoid something else will happen to him, well...they have a right to...especially after today! They’ll wish they begged, and pleaded, on their knees for him to stay in and rest!_

  
  


“Sorcerer…” The Ninja said, his voice low and angry.

  
  


“Oh, Ninja…” The Sorcerer said in a mock sweet\friendly tone. “I see you brought some company, hm?”

  
  


Taking this as a threat, The Ninja stood in front of the five protectively. Plop Plop, Ortensia, Oswald, and The Messenger (Who hid it well for his daughter’s sake), were scared. However Julius took a step forward and stood beside his ninja.

  
Everyone stared.

  
  


“Brother?” Ortensia asked in a hushed tone. She grabbed Oswald's paw tightly. He pulled her close not taking his eyes off the cat.

  
  


The Messenger remained silent, but lightly pursed his lips.

  
  


Plop Plop looked on awkwardly, and noticed his mouth was getting dry.

  
  


The Ninja looked over, his eyes wide.

  
  


He examined Julius:

He stood with his back straightened, arms stiff by his side, paws clenched into fists. His usually, happy, wide, eyes were now narrowed with anger. The smile was hone, now think and straight. His tail was limp on the ground.

  
  


The rat watched from the Sorcerer's shoulder. She didn't let out a squeak this time. She just stared, near motionless, expect for her tail which twitched nervously. After a moment she looked over to The Sorcerer.

  
  


His face was blank as well. His lips turned into a wicked grin. He chuckled. “Oh yes! Your little kitty will be a perfect addition to my corpse pile, along with you!”

  
  


“Corpse pile? The ninja sounded disgusted, now knowing if it was a literal or metaphorical pile, but he wouldn't doubt either one.

  
  


“Yes.....Why don't I show you?” The Sorcerer asked, grinning.

  
  


The ninja narrowed his eyes and lunged forward, his sword in front of him. He slashed at The Sorcerer.

  
  


Julius wanted to help, but he couldn't move. Just like the other night he couldn't. The Sorcerer terrified him. Terrified him much more than the stank.

  
  


His paws unclenched and tail moved up, eyes widened once more, and his mouth turned into a frown.

Julius's knees buckled and his paws started to sweat. Ortensia grabbed her brother's arm and pulled him back.

  
  


He just stood there watching the battle: The Ninja swinging his sword, The Sorcerer dodging, then shooting stank. The rat upon his shoulder letting out squeaks of joy for all the hits he made.

  
  


The Ninja panted, his was still worn out from last night's fight. He gripped his sword tightly and kept eye contact with The Sorcerer.

  
  


The Sorcerer seemed to be leading him somewhere. The five of them followed after the two.

  
  


The Ninja followed after, more focused on fighting than anything. The Sorcerer kept giving him evil smiles and looks as they fought their way around the village.

  
  


The villagers screamed and ran away from the fight, heading towards the shelter.

  
  


“Julius!” Called a voice.

  
  


Julius looked over. “Alice?”

  
  


“Come on, Julius!” Alice said, starting to pull him with her.

  
  


Julius pulled back. “I...can't....”

  
  


The girl pouted and sadly asked, “Why?”

  
  


Julius froze, unsure how to answer without giving too much away. He glanced back to the others.

The Ninja striked The Sorcerer in the face, causing him to stumble. Yet...He still had a smile on his face.

  
  


The Messenger,Ortensia,Plop Plop, and Oswald watched nervously. Ortensia was nearly crushing Oswald's paw with her own, but he tried to hide his wincing.

  
  


“Alice...I can't leave my owner...” He sighed.

  
  


“Your owner?” She looked at them, squinting to get a better look. “Which one of them is your owner?”

  
  


“....The village messenger.” Julius lied. “Now, come on, please just head to the shelter!”

  
  


“No.”

  
  


“No? What do you mea-”

  
  


“If you don't want to leave your owner...we'll take him with us....” Alice stated simply.

  
  


His eyes widened. “W-what? N-no...It...it's not that....simple...”

  
  


She narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean?”

  
  


“A-alice...we won't be able to con-convince him to come w-with.” Julius said, his voice and eyes pleading. “H-he's a...a watcher..”

  
  


“A watcher?”

  
  


“Yeah, a watcher.” Julius continued. “He...Well, he likes to watch...all the ninja fights...”

  
  


“Why?” Alice was confused why anyone would do something so..stupid...

  
  


The Sorcerer glanced over The Ninja's shoulder and saw Julius talking to a little girl. He chuckled and gathered stank into his hands.

  
  


  
  


Using Julius's intense worry against him, he got stanked: He grew giant, and fierce. His eyes were light yellow, as were his sword sharp claws on his paws. The teeth were also as sharp, but they were pearly white instead. The fur on his ear, chest, and tail became ruffled, and his whiskers were greasy and gnarled.

  
  


Julius let out a roar and started swiping his claws at Alice, who screamed and ran.

  
  


The Ninja looked over and saw his stanked cat. As he tried to hurry over, The Sorcerer grabbed his headband and pulled him back.

  
  


_Darn it! I cant destank Julius **and** fight The Sorcerer! I hope that little girl is okay...._

  
  


Julius kept chasing after Alice.

  
  


His thoughts were all primal and repeated: _Kill her, kill her, kill her!_

  
  


Alice panted and tried to escape him.

  
  


_What did he do that one time? He...He broke a scarf...Maybe I have to do something similar? But, what can I break?_

  
  


She stood in front of Julius. “Hey!”

  
  


He let out a roar sounding hiss and swung his paws at her. She ducked and desperately tried to look for something to break. Panic welled throughout her body in that one moment.

  
  


She looked him over and couldn't find anything to break.

_What do I do now? Just keep fighting?_

  
  


Figuring that was the best option, Alice picked up some rocks and began throwing them at the stanked cat.

  
  


He hissed as he raised his paws and arms up to guard his face from them. Involuntarily he took a step back and got his back paw stuck in a fence.

  
  
  
  


He tugged it a few times, but couldn't get free. He frowned and put his tail under the fence, then started to pry. Like a key in a lock, they clicked and he pulled it out, but...The fence came with his tail.

  
  


He hissed as he started to pull the fence off his tail, and stumbled onto the ground. Alice couldn't help letting out a small giggle. Julius rolled over onto his stomach and hissed, then the chase continued.

  
  


Alice didn't know what to do now. Throwing rocks didn't help, and laughing _really_ didn't help.

  
  


_What else can I do? Unless...._

  
  


She stood in front of Julius. Due to his puzzlement, the stank stopped and stared at her, letting out low, confused growls and grunts.

  
  


“Julius..” She said, nervously. “W-why are we doing this?”

  
  


The stank tilted his head and let out another confused growl. Alice put her arms out to him. The stank came forward and....roared in her face!

  
  


Alice started running again, and Julius followed.

  
  


The villagers screamed when they saw him, and started to scramble around like ants.

  
  


“It’s one of The Sorcerer’s monsters!” A man screamed.

  
  


A farmer who was tending to his crop looked up, his eyes widened in fear. He dropped his scythe and ran off.

  
  


His flock of chickens scattered as well, except for one hen. She approached the scythe and pecked it curiously. Curious, she used her beak to attempt to pick it up. Despite being able to grip it, the scythe was too heavy and the hen stumbled back, before falling onto the ground.

  
  


The other chickens surrounded her and let out clucking that was akin to laughter. Even though it was impossible, it felt like everyone and everything were laughing at her: The chickens,the farmer, the villagers,The Stank, the little girl, the Ninjas (wherever they were),their squires,that rabbit that hangs out with one of them, the village messenger,his little cat, The Sorcerer, his mate from the night before, the flowers,the trees,the clouds,the houses,the field,the crops, and the scythe itself.

  
  


Angered, the hen got up and clucked at them furiously. They ceased their laughter and backed off. She put her wings on her hips and bawked more.

  
  


As she walked away, she stepped on the scythe and hurt her foot. Hopping around on one foot caused the laughter to start again, at a full roar.

  
  


She glared again and they stopped at a dime.

  
  


“Alllllllliiiiiiiiiiicccceeeeee! Alllllllliiiiiiiccccceeeee!” Julius managed to his out.

  
  


_Is he trying to talk to me? He sure didn’t want to talk before!_

  
  


“Aaaaaaalllllllliiiiiiiiccccccceeeee….” He repeated.

  
  


She looked back and saw him, having hope maybe he was turning back into his normal self or something...even though deep down she knew the monsters didn’t work that way

  
  


“Allllliiiiiicccceee.”

  
  


Alice just kept her eyes ahead of her, trying not to think of Julius’s snarling. The two drew closer to the shelter.

  
  


Alice panted, nearly out of breath. To her surprise when she approached the shelter, Julius destanked.

  
  


he stared at him with wide eyes, as he rubbed his head and let a small, groggy, groan. “W-what happened? W-where am I?”

  
  


Stanknisa, was common after being stanked. The one who became a monster wouldn’t remember it at all, and if they somehow managed to, it was a jumbled and blurred memory. (In rare cases you sometimes lost your clothes as well. Fortunately for Julius, he was a cat, and didn’t have any to lose.)

  
  


Alice was hesitant as she approached. Julius was glad to see a familiar face and smiled. He put his paw out and she helped him up.

  
  


Carefully he brushed the dirt off of himself. “Alice? What happened?”

  
  


The girl bit her lip and looked a bit nervous. “Well….”

  
  


“I got turned into a monster, didn’t I?” Julius asked flatly, not sounding at all like a question.

  
  


Alice nodded, still biting her lip.

  
  


“Did I….hurt you?” Julius asked hesitantly.

  
  


“No, you tried to, but I’m fine, Julius, honest.” She reassured.

  
  


“I-I’m really, truly, sorry.” Julius apologized.

  
  


To his puzzlement, Alice let out a small giggle “What?”

  
  


“Julius.” She giggled more. “You act as is I’ve never been turned into a monster!”

  
  


Julius’s eyes widened. “Y-you have?”

  
  


She nodded and started pulling something out of her bag. It was a tattered, folded, news scroll, the ones The Messenger and his sister delivered. Carefully, Alice unraveled it and showed it to him.

  
  


There was an artist depiction of a monster: This one was a turtle monster. She had Alice’s bob cut, and small eyes, except these ones were light yellow. Her teeth and toes were sharp, her tail spiked. The lines on her shell were haphazard and followed no pattern to speak of.

  
  


Under it was the caption:

  
  


**Alice Hardwick, 7**

  
  


Julius smoothed out the newspaper and read the article:

  
  


_The Sorcerer has once again attacked the village, causing terror and havoc. One of the unfortunate victims of his monster creation was a little girl named Alice Hardwick, whose only seven years old. As shown in the artist rendering above, he turned her into a horrid, turtle monster with his green smoke,. After The Purple Ninja broke her locket, she turned back to normal. Like all the other cases, she didn’t remember a thing._

  
  


  
  
Julius frowned and gave the news scroll back. He tried to remember if he saw her stanked, but he was drawing a blank.

  
  


“Since we're here, will you please come into the shelter with me?” Alice asked.

  
  


The cat sighed in defeat. “All right...I'll stay here with you...”

  
  


Alice smiled and grabbed his paw, before dragging him inside.

  
  


As the shelter usually was during attacks, people were panicked, talking hurriedly, and huddled together.

  
  


“Only The Red Ninja is out there again.” The woman from the other night commented to the man from the other night.

  
  


“I saw them other ninjas earlier.” The man said.

  
  


“As did I, but,...where are they now?”

  
  


“You still think they left?”

  
  


Julius listened closely, curious about this conversation.

  
  


The woman pursed her lips. “Well...I supposed not, but...it's just that...where are they?”

  
  


“Fightin' off that Sorcerer, I assume.”

  
  


“But all of the reports from the outside have confirmed, The Red Ninja is the only one out there.” The woman explained.

  
  


“You really think he's the only one fightin' out there? I think the others have plan to take down that Sorcerer.”

  
  


“And what plan would that be?”

  
  


“I don't know the plan itself, but I do know there is one.” He said. “Why would they not help, when it's their job?”  
  
  


“I suppose you're right..” The woman gave in.

  
  


Julius followed Alice and curled into her lap when she sat down. Gently, she stroked his fur. He'd been pet by the ninja before, but this was different....She was gentle, her hands were soft. Julius purred and fell asleep in her lap.

  
  


Alice pulled him into a cradle and sang:

  
  


“ _Sleep my little Julius, let your dreams take wing...”_  
  
  


Julius didn't hear the rest of the lullaby and fell asleep:

  
  


_Julius stood in a black void, looking around nervously, gripping his tail in fear. Green mist started to spray in, the void reflecting it's color. The colors turned into silhouettes of stanks, hopping around and snarling, circling around Julius._

  
  


_The Sorcerer appeared, choking The Ninja, however he didn't have his mask on, and his face was bloody and bruised._

  
  


_The Sorcerer laughed and said, “Be prepared to burn in Hellfire, mistake!”_

  
  


_Julius was frozen in fear like he usually was in The Sorcerer's presence. The Sorcerer ceased laughing to look over. “Oh...it's you...Well...my friends from the other side can deal with you...”_

  
  


_His “Friends from the other side”, so to speak, were stanks. They circled Julius like hungry dogs._

  
  


_He whimpered, before remembering he took down a stank once. He smirked and jumped out of the way as one charged, and rammed into another one. The two of them destanked._

  
  


_He looked over and saw Oswald and Ortensia, staring worriedly at him._

  
  


“ _Brother…” Ortensia said groggily._

  
  


“ _Julius…” Oswald groaned._

  
  


_He hurried over to his sister and best friend, and helped them up. Ortensia and Oswald were bashful having their faces so close and rubbed their faces together._

  
  


_It seemed like the stanks were frozen in the moment, as if their love stopped them. However when Julius let go they vanished and the stanks unpaused._

  
  


_Ducking didn’t work this time, they leapfrogged off of each other, then turned back and snarled at the cat._

  
  


_He panicked until he saw a pile of rocks. For some reason he felt like throwing them could work. He smirked and picked up a rock, throwing it up and down in his palm for a second. Then he threw it at the charging stank._

  
  


_She destanked and it was Alice. He ran over and hugged her._

  
  


“ _Julius...w-what happened?” Alice asked, holding onto him for support._

  
  


“ _The Sorcerer…” Julius said. “He turned you into a monster.”_

  
  


“ _Oh.” She giggled. “But this isn’t the first time...and probably not the last.”_

  
  


_Julius managed a small smile and hugged tighter. The stanks were once again frozen. Julius was afraid to let go off Alice. Afraid she’d disappear, afraid the stanks could attack again._

  
  


_However, Alice slipped out of his grasp and faded away._

  
  


“ _A-alice!” He gasped, putting his paw forward as if to grab her._

  
  


_Two more stanks came forward, circling him. Julius stood his ground and hit one in the snout. He let out a roar and got destanked. Julius hurried over and hugged whoever it was._

  
  


“ _Uh...Julius...are you okay?” Plop Plop asked, awkwardly._

 

“ _O-oh..” Julius said, embarrassed. However, he didn’t dare let go. Instead he snuggled closer. “S-sorry Plop Plop…”_

  
  


“ _Are you gonna let go?” Plop Plop asked, starting to get annoyed._

  
  


“ _No.” Julius said into his chest. “I’m scared.”_

  
  


_Plop Plop frowned and started petting his head and ears, which Julius had seen him do with Oswald many times. He purred lightly and nuzzled closer. “D-don’t leave me, P-plop plop.”_

  
  


_Tears were rolling down his face and he sniffled, his ears folding down._

  
  


“ _Julius…” He said, petting him. “Julius, you have to let go eventually.”_

  
  


“ _No.” He whined. However Plop Plop started to fade. “No!”_

  
  


_He started breathing heavily, but he had to act fast because another stank was charging. He noticed a satchel by his side and got an idea. He ran by the stank and pulled the satchel, tearing it, causing mail to fly everywhere._

  
  


_He destanked, showing it was The Messenger._

  
  


_Knowing how to stop the stanks for a moment to catch his breath, he hugged him. The Messenger hugged back tightly and patted his back. Julius purred. As he dug his nose deeper he realized how much the Messenger smelled like his sister. He felt comforted by the sent and relaxed, closing his eyes._

  
  


“ _Do you want to hear a story?” The Messenger asked._

  
  


_Julius nodded lightly._

  
  


“ _A group of wild hounds gathered in a clearing, while high noon was nearing. The two Alphas stood large and proud, and let out howls oh so loud. The Beta and Omegas barked in joy, to their leaders who were very coy. In the crowd stood a dog….”_

  
  


_He too started to fade away._

  
  


_Panicking, Julius started to say the rest, “Whom was the brown color of a hog! Her fur was shaggy and wet! She was quite unkempt! Omega was what she was assigned, and it suited her just fine!” He was utterly desperate this point, “She loved to run,skip, and play! It’s how she spent her day! Of to hunt they go out through the deep snow!”_

  
  


_Before The Messenger fully faded away he continued, “Our lady sent out with a group of others: Some Betas, her brothers. Blood is thicker than water, so they allowed her squatter.  As she chased animals for a thrill, with never an intention to kill….”_

  
  


_When he was gone, Julius sadly recited the next lines, “However a chase with a hare as white as bone,left the hound all alone. What she saw next gave her a scare, alas it was no hare.”_

  
  


_What gave this poor cat a fright?_

  
  


_Sixteen Stanks, ready to fight_

  
  


_Eight of them lunged at once in perfect unison. The others stood behind and waited, then leapt forward themselves._

  
  


_Julius ran from them, but he couldn’t escape, there were far too many. Up ahead was a lake of water. He gripped his nose tightly and jumped in._

 

_He held his breath and opened his eyes to look around. There were dead fish floating around, covered in stank. Even the sand at the bottom was stained green. He tried to swim around, but the water felt heavy._

 

_All the stanks jumped in, but destanked into the ninjas and their squires when they hit the water. They swam to the top and coughed up water. Julius swam to the top and joined them._

 

“ _The darn Sorcerer!” The White Ninja snarled. It was obvious even though he didn't remember being a monster, he knew he was one. Julius hugged him and he stiffened up. “Uh...Julius? Why are you...?”_

 

_Julius snuggled his face into his wet chest. “Julius?”_

 

“ _Aw that's kinda cute.” The Purple Ninja's squire giggled._

 

_The White Ninja looked uncomfortable however. “Is there....something wrong?”_

 

“ _I'm scared...”_

 

“ _Oh...I see....Where's our brother?”_

 

“ _I-I do-don't...k-know...” Julius whimpered, then started crying into his chest. The White Ninja awkwardly patted his back._

 

“ _Well...” The White ninja sighed. “We better find him. Anyone have any ideas where to start?”_

 

“ _Well...He was with The Sorcerer when I saw him...” Julius said, nervously._

 

_The White Ninja froze. “Why didn't you tell me that before!”_

 

“ _Well Uh..um...” Julius started wringing his tail out nervously. “I-I don't know w-where he i-is..”_

 

_The White Ninja sighed angrily. He looked to the other Ninjas. “Come on. We need to find our brother!”_

 

_As The White Ninja pulled away he disappeared, so did the others._

 

_Julius cried as he gripped his tail tighter. Some stray stank was floating by, catching his attention. He was the only one left. The only one who could do anything. Julius felt for an of the lake, and pulled himself up. His heart beating fast, he headed into the direction of the stank._

 

_He saw The Sorcerer, still gripping an injured Ninja, laughing. He turned to Julius. “Oh my...”_

 

_Julius tensed up and stood still in fear. The Sorcerer laughed again and picked him up. “You two know what my ideal lullaby would be, hm?”_

 

_The both of them remained silent._

 

“ _The sound of ninja's dying gasp!” He sneered, throwing the ninja to the ground._

 

“ _Ninja!” Julius yelled in fear. The Ninja started to fade away._

 

“ _His cat squealing in my grasp!” He snarled, gripping tighter, causing Julius to choke. “The village's mournful cry! That's my lullaby!”_

 

_He threw Julius to the ground, and he winced as he slid. He looked at his arms and paws that were bloody. However his hands were becoming translucent and he panicked. He hugged himself tightly, hoping it would help._

 

_It didn't..._

 

… _............._

 

Julius woke up with a gasp.

 

Alice was startled and jolted awake from her nap as well. “Julius? What's wrong?”

 

“I-I h-have to g-go Alice...” He whimpered as he got out of her lap.

 

Alice frowned and grabbed his arm. “Julius no, it's safer here...”

“I know...but I _need_ to go, Alice!” He protested as he pulled his arm away from her.

 

Alice pouted, her eyes wide and sad. “Please?”

 

Julius had to look away, if he hadn't, he would have stayed for sure. “Just....stay here...I'll be back, okay?”

 

“Do you promise?”

 

“I promise...” Julius said. Alice finally let go and he left.

 

…..

Forgetting how hard he'd hurt himself last night he ran in full sprint. Until his leg ached so badly he fell down, grasping it in pain.

 

“Julius!”

 

“Alice?”

 

Ortensia rushed over, soon followed by her father, Oswald, and Plop Plop. She and Oswald got on either side of him and helped him up.

 

“W-where's Red Ninja?” Julius asked.

 

“Just up ahead.” Oswald said, patting his back gently.

 

“Is he okay?” Julius asked, nervously.

 

The Messenger nodded once, and lead their way back.

 

Julius was groggy from waking up so abruptly, but he kept his eyes open to watch the rest of the fight:

 

The Ninja and Sorcerer were both panting heavily, waiting for each other to make the next strike. The Ninja finally lunged with his sword in front of him.

 

The Sorcerer dodged and kept leading The Ninja, laughing the whole time.

 

“We're getting closer, ninja.”

 

The Ninja narrowed his eyes, but other than that ignored him and kept fighting.

 

They drew closer and The Ninja tripped. Startled, he looked to see what he fell on.

It was a pile of dead bodies.

 

The Ninja gasped as he backed away, and examined the pile: His brothers and their squires.

 

He started heaving, then lifted his mask and vomited. From the side lines everyone else watched: Plop Plop and Ortensia were both near tears, The Messenger frowned and tipped his hat, while Oswald and Julius just looked on in shock.

 

“This is what it feels like to lose somebody you love, Ninja!”

 

The Ninja was shaking and vomited again.

 

The Sorcerer went over to the pile and started picking through. “Why don't I tell you how I killed each other them?”

 

The Ninja couldn't reply. He was on his knees trying not to vomit again.

 

He picked up The Blue Ninja and his squire, “I stanked these two, and for a minute they were my minions. I could have sent them to kill the others, but I wanted to do it myself. So I took Hot Head's sword and finished them off. Hmm who was next?”

 

He shuffled through the pile and next picked out The Green Ninja and his Squire. “I told this ninja how I murdered his other brother, and it put his mind elsewhere. I managed to kill him ,and his squire followed suite. He'd rather be dead with the one he loved than be alive without him. What a fool!”

 

Next, The Yellow Ninja and his squire. “Look at the lovely father and daughter.” He chuckled. “I told her how he didn't even go to his first squire's funeral. This broke the poor girl's heart and she got stanked...Her daddy was forced to kill her. Then as he grieved I stabbed him with a piece of wood! Look, it's still in him!”

 

The Ninja didn't dare look. He couldn't tell if his eyes were watering or he was crying.

 

“Next, those two lovers.” He picked out The Orange Ninja and his squire. “I found one of his spare headbands and placed in that squire's daughter's hand, and made it seem like he killed her. Oh, it did not end well. She stabbed him to death, then I broke her neck.”

 

He pulled out The Gray Ninja and his squire, then grimaced. “These two were disgraces to ninjas everywhere. I managed to attack them from behind and they both died on impact. Pathetic things.”

 

He tossed them aside and pulled out The White Ninja and his squire. “The final one. The Feisty One left for a moment and I took my chance. I took his form and beat his ninja, then I stabbed him in the chest. When The Feisty One found out about all these deaths, he begged me to kill him.”

The Sorcerer counted silently on his fingers. “Oh, I miscounted! There is another death that needs to accounted for. Mistake...While he was mourning the loss of his pathetic brothers and their squires, I-”

 

The Ninja snapped and kicked The Sorcerer in the face. He snarled angrily, yet he was surprised The Ninja was able to fight at this point: So were the others on the sidelines who watched with wide eyes.

 

“You killed my brothers and-!” He paused, thinking of what to say next. What were the squires to him? Family? All of his life they'd been nothing but cruel to him and his squire. Why would they be family? But...they had been trying hard this past year, and...they were all he really had. “My sisters!”

 

He punched The Sorcerer in the face. The Sorcerer sneered and gathered stank in his hands, then shot it. The Ninja jumped out of the way and kicked his stomach.

 

“We have to help!” Julius said, trying to step forward, but a sharp pain shot through his leg. He winced and held on tightly.

 

The Messenger scooped him up in his arms and cradled him to his chest. Julius noticed that like his dream, The Messenger truly did smell like Ortensia. “Your legs hurt Julius, you can't go out there.”

 

“Even if it wasn't, you wouldn't stand a chance against The Sorcerer!” Oswald pointed out. Oretensia hugged him tightly in fear.

 

“But, he's in danger!” He said, wincing.

 

“We can't do anything, though.” Oswald pointed out. “This is the ninja's job. He's the only one who can handle this.”

 

Julius frowned, realizing he was right. _What was I thinking!? The Sorcerer would squash me like a bug if I went out there and challenged him! Even challenging that stank was stupid...If I didn't though...Alice would be dead, and I admit saving her felt really good...But I was just lucky that time! The Sorcerer is a whole other ball game, and I wouldn't stand a chance._

 

It was The Ninja's part in the grand design to fight The Sorcerer, while Julius...well he wasn't sure what he was meant for yet.

 

The rain pattered, dripping into barrels, puddles, roofs, and into the ocean. A large wind shook the pine trees.

 

The Messenger pulled Julius closer to he wouldn't get wet.

 

 

The Ninja narrowed his eyes against the rain. He was fighting harder than he ever had before. Never before did he want to kill The Sorcerer was much as he did now.

 

He dodged and did whatever else he needed to stay alive. He lunged and grabbed The Sorcerer tightly.

 

Some eagles cawed as they flew ahead.

 

The Ninja had The Sorcerer in a headlock. The Sorcerer coughed and gathered stank in his hands. Knowing he could get stanked from his intense hate, The Ninja let go and jumped out of the way.

 

The Sorcerer panted heavily and wiped some stray blood off his face. “You...are...a strong fighter ninja....I'm worn out.”

 

“We're not finished here!” The Ninja yelled.

 

“Don't worry Ninja...I'll be back for you.” The Sorcerer cackled before throwing stank and allowing his escape.

 

The Ninja screamed angrily into the air. He panted heavily, and then turned to the only ones he had left....his friends...his family.

 

“We need to write a decree of their death...” He said seriously, as he headed home, not waiting for them to catch off.

 

They scurried after him.

 

“Ninja, wait!” Plop Plop panted. “I can't run that fast!”

 

Julius just snuggled closer to The Messenger and inhaled the scent of his sister. Then slowly he drifted off, as the rain pattered down onto his fur.

 

….......

From a mountain a young wolf dog watched down. Her fur was dark gray and her underfur a lighter gray. Her eyes were usually a light blue, but now they were flashing a light yellow. The wolf dog's mouth was agape as she watched a vision unfold in her head.

 

_The Sorcerer was trudging back to his cave, grumbling, **“I will get that Ninja! And I will get my lovely Sorceress back! Then we can take over together.”**_

 

Her vision changed suddenly

 

_It shifted to Julius being carried by The Messenger. He was gripping into his shoulders tightly, his eyes closed. No doubt tuckered out from the night before._

 

The wolf dog had seen him fight in a vision as well. It had awoken her. In fact she'd had a lot of visions of this cat, but she didn't understand why.

 

_The rain was hitting him harder than anyone else it seemed. The cat didn't seem bothered, but rather comforted by it._

 

“Aleu?” Asked a voice.

 

The alpha looked over. “Yes, Matsu?”

 

“Are you all right?” Matsu asked, sitting beside her.

 

“Yeah, I'm fine.” Aleu sighed. “It's just, I've been having weird visions lately. They're mostly about the cat that's always with The Alpha The Color of Blood, Dark Prey.”

 

“Do you think it means anything?” Matsu asked.

 

“Of course it means something.” Aleu sighed. “I just don't know what...”

 

“Are we supposed to eat him? Because I'd be fine with that.”

 

“No!” Aleu barked. “Sorry, but...I don't think that's what my vision is telling me.”

 

There was a small chuckling. “I'm sure you know what it means perfectly well.”

 

“Huh?” She looked down and saw a small brown mouse with a small hair tuft, a dark brown nose, beady black eyes, and a thin pink tail. It was her spirit guide. “Muru!...What do you mean?”

 

He chuckled again. “Well, isn't it obvious?”

 

Aleu cocked her head to the side in puzzlement. “Well uh...no?”

 

“Look at the village.” Muru urged, placing his paw out towards it.

 

Aleu squinted. “I don't understand...”

 

“Look at the weather.” Muru said.

 

The rain was still pattering down into the ocean, the pines still swayed, and the eagles still flew.

 

“Oh!” Aleu said in a moment of sudden realization. “Dark Prey is going to find his place in The Grand Design. Isn't he, Muru? Muru? Ugh! Why does he always disappear without answering me!”

 

“Because you answered yourself.” Matsu chuckled.

 

Aleu looked at the village for a bit longer and nodded. Her eyes flashed yellow again. “Right. Come on Matsu, there's a wild boar herd up ahead.”

 

…..............

 

The Sorceress wandered around The Land of Shadows, holding her orb high into the air. “Ugh! Why can't I contact The Sorcerer anymore!”

 

“Heeeelllooooo Theeeereee.” Giggled a voice.

 

The Sorceress looked up and let out a warning hiss. Blurryface with Sukoshi on her shoulder glided over. “Sooooo it is truuue....you aaaarreee heeeeereee....”

 

“Who are you?” The Sorceress hissed.

 

“Ooooh, don't feeeaaar meeee. Sorcereeeeesss, I'm Blurryface. My only juuuuurisdiction is on thooose who's sooooouls have beeeen corrupted by eeeeevviiiil. I keeeep their gooooodneeess as priiiiiiisoners...I even have yoooour goooooodness in my possession!”

 

“Keep her!” The Sorceress hissed. “I don't want to be her anymore! I just want to be with The Sorcerer! I can communicate with him, however, my orb has seemed to stop working..” She tapped it slightly with her clawed finger.

 

“ _Stopped_? As in it worked before?” Blurryface questioned.

 

“Yes, what else could I possibly mean!?”

 

Blurryface chuckled. “The ooooooonly waaaay to communicate wiiiiiiiiiiith someooooooone ooooooutside is if you're near their gooooooodness. I doubt with how biiiiiig this plaaaaace is that you foooound his.”

 

“But I did!” The Sorceress said. “But that means.... _That_ fool I met was The Sorcerer! Ugh, he was so vile!”

 

“Viiiiiile, I agreeeee.” Blurryface chuckled again. “However, iiiiiif you waaaant to communicate with your preeeecious, Sorcerer, again, you neeeeeed to be neeeeeear him.”

Sukoshi cleared his throat. “We need to check on Aku's spirit, Blurryface.”

 

“Riiiiiiight. Goooood day, Sooooorceress...” She glided away.

 

_How can he be The Sorcerer! I left so I wouldn't have to spend another minute near that creep! However...I don't seem to have a choice anymore....I must head back..._

 

She looked back at the swine field and sighed angrily. This time as she trudged through it, she held her robe up, so a pig wouldn't bite it again. Instead they bit her leg.

 

“Let go!” She hissed, but the hog held on tighter. She kicked it's snout and it snorted loudly. This time when it tried to nip her, she managed to get away.

 

This caused the other pigs to go for her, to get her back for what she did to the other.

 

“Get off of me, you filthy animals!” She howled like a dog, kicking some more snouts as she trudged through.

 

She was glad to be out of the field until she remembered what was next: The Larva pit.

 

Like expected they latched to her like ticks on a dog, or leeches on...uh..anything with blood.

 

“You slimy little beasts!” She started to pry them off and throw them back into the pit. When she did others immediately took their place. When she was finally out of them, she could shake the larva off.

 

The Sorceress sighed in relief when she saw the cave. When she entered she faced the man on the wall. “You! You're The Sorcerer?!”

 

“Me? The Sorcerer?” He asked appalled. “I am but a humble peddler.”

 

“Then that blurry faced thing lied to me...” The Sorceress hissed under her breath.

 

The Peddler blinked. “What do you mean?”

 

“She said I had to be near The Sorcerer's goodness to contact him with my orb!”

 

The Peddler frowned. “Oh, she didn't lie..”

 

“You said you weren't The Sorcerer.” The Sorceress pointed out.

 

“I'm not.” He shook his head gently with his words. “I'm his goodness, The Peddler. I don't consider...that thing....to be me...And I highly doubt he considers me to be him....”

 

“Of course he wouldn't. You are a pathetic being!”

 

The Peddler frowned more and avoided eye contact with her.

 

The Sorceress gripped the orb tightly.

 

….......

 

The Sorcerer trudged into the cave. The rat on his shoulder shook her fur to dry off.

 

“Ugh...That ninja has exhausted me.” The Sorcerer yawned, heading to a pile of rocks. He sat down and laid his back against the flattest rocks in the cave. Slowly he closed his eyes and tried to get some sleep, however the orbs on his belt began to glow.

 

The Sorcerer grumbled as he picked one of them up.

 

“Hello?” He asked, worn out.

 

“ **Sorcerer, it is me!”**

 

“Sorceress, my dear!” The Sorcerer no longer sounded tired.

 

“ **How is the revenge going?”**

 

The Sorcerer hesitated.

 

“ **Sorcerer?”**

 

“Well...there were some...complications...”

 

“ **Complications? As in?”**

 

“I managed to kill most of the ninjas and their respective squires, but...That red ninja managed to survive! The one I needed dead the most, wouldn't die!”

 

“ **That vile ninja! I hate him!”**

 

“As do I, my dear.” The Sorcerer sighed. “But, I shall get him soon. I promise.”

 

He hung up.

 

….....

 

The Sorceress snarled and let the necklace lay limp on her neck. “I _hate_ that Ninja! I hate him!”

 

She thrashed around to relieve anger. She scratched the walls, smacked piles of rocks down. She was about to knock down the pile of bone, but The Peddler stopped her.

 

“Stop!” He yelled.

 

The Sorceress turned around. “Oh yes, you told me there was a monster behind there, didn't you?”

 

“Y-yes..” He said, still terrified.

 

The Sorceress scoffed and stepped towards him.

 

And it would eat you alive, wouldn't it?” She grinned, stroking one of her fingers under his chin.

 

The Peddler nodded, shaking heavily.

 

The Sorceress giggly manically and pulled away. “Well, maybe you should stay on my good side then, hm?”

 

“Y-yes...of...of course...” The Peddler stuttered.

 

“Since you're the only way to contact The Sorcerer...and I really don't want to go back into the larva or pigs...I'll be staying here.” The Sorceress said, sitting down.

 

He gulped and nodded once.

 

The Sorceress,yawned, stretched, and fell asleep.

 

The Peddler sighed. _I guess I have a roommate for all entirety._

 

…..............

The Ninja and all that was left of his clan made it home. The rain had picked up and the thunder roared.

 

The Ninja took off his suit and hung it up to dry. Drops were still dripping off of it, puddling on the ground.

 

He sighed and put his face in his hands, then rubbed his eyes. The Ninja headed to his room.

 

No one followed.

 

The Messenger sat down, and put Julius in his lap. He checked the cat over for any other injuries he may have gotten during his time outside. Besides spraining his leg a bit more, there was nothing else new.

 

Julius leaned closer to his chest, his wet fur water staining the front of his shirt. He just patted his back and stroked him tightly. Still exhausted from the night before, Julius drifted off to sleep.

 

_The rain was beginning to pour_

_Julius held his paws, oh so sore_

_The Sorcerer loomed up ahead_

_And Julius thought for sure he'd be dead_

_The Sorcerer raised his hands to the sky_

_And shot his stank very high_

_The cat froze in fear_

_The Sorcerer saw him and began to leer_

_The Ninjas were there mid fight_

_Battling with all of their might_

_The Sorcerer may have filled him with fear_

_But the ninjas did not shed a single tear_

_They circled around him_

_The Sorcerer's future was looking dim_

_They didn't think his take down would take too long_

_Unfortunately, they were, terribly, horribly, wrong_

_The Sorcerer clawed them back_

_Undermining their attack_

_One by one they fell_

_It looked like The Sorcerer won until_

_The Red Ninja sprung out_

_And he attacked without a doubt_

_Julius cheered for him_

_The Ninja punched limb to limb_

_The Sorcerer tossed him aside_

_And Julius watched him glide_

_Julius was scared_

_Worried that next he would be marred_

_He ran over to his friend_

_Whom had met an early end_

_He cried and held on tight_

_Knowing now he had to fight_

_He gripped his mask in his paw_

_It was his time to uphold the law_

_He put it on his head_

_And hoped to not end up dead_

_His sword he grabbed_

_And at The Sorcerer he jabbed_

_The Sorcerer was surprised_

_And hit him in the thigh_

_The cat struck back_

_Not letting up on his attack_

_The Sorcerer stood his ground_

_And let a growl like a hound_

_Julius stabbed him in the side_

_Leaving a gaping hole very wide_

_Julius watched him lie_

_As The Sorcerer began to die._

 

… _............_

Julius snapped awake and groaned a bit, rubbing his head. He tried to sit up, but The Messenger held him down.

 

“You must rest.” The Messenger said, with his scruff, yet somehow gentle sounding voice. He pulled the cat closer to his chest. Julius nodded and fell back asleep.

 

The Messenger sighed and cradled him gently, like he did with Ortensia when she was a newborn. In fact, he still did rock her this way, even though she was well into what could be considered, womanhood, he supposed.

 

Oswald was holding a sobbing Ortensia close, some tears in his own eyes too. “It's all right honey-bun, it's all right.”  
  


“T-they're g-gone...” She cried. “A-all of them....g-gone...”

 

“Shh it's okay..it's okay...” Oswald kissed her cheek and pulled her into his lap. Ortensia snuggled him as close as she could.

 

“Why don't recite that story? That calms you down, right?” Oswald asked gently.

 

Ortensia sniffled but nodded. “ _A group of wild hounds gathered in a clearing,while high noon was nearing. The two Alphas stood large and proud, and let out howls oh so loud. The Betas and Omegas barked in joy_

_to their leaders who were very coy.”_

Oswald continued with her, “ _In the crowd stood a dog, whom was the brown color of a hog. Her fur shaggy and wet. She was quite unkempt.”_

 

Plop Plop sighed and looked up towards the ceiling in thought.

 

 

_I hated them so much before this year...So why does this hurt so bad?_

 

He thought more of the night they finally accepted him:

 

_They were all huddled together as Ortensia finished her story, “_ _The animals looked around, wi_ _th this new knowledge found. They gathered around the dog and around her new friend the hog. The Alphas invited them them a top and through the wind their ears would flop. Life would be a lot more fun,now that they knew We are one”_

 

“ _Th-that was a n-nice story...” The White Ninja's squire said._

 

“ _Thank you.” The Messenger said, tipping his hat slightly._

 

“ _Or-ortensia is a..a..gr-great..s-st-storyteller.” The White Ninja's squire continued._

 

_Ortensia sat down next to Oswald. “So, I've been meaning to ask...did... did something happen before we got here?”_

 

“ _Oh, a lot has happened naturally!” The Purple Ninja's squire joked. “I mean we all gathered in here, feared for our lives, talked a bit, feared some more, and talked some more.”_

 

“ _No, I mean with my honey-bun and Plop Plop.”_

 

“ _Oh, that! Yeah, Long-ears here gave us the talk down!” She said,stroking Oswald's ear with one hand._

 

_Oswald chuckled, knowing his nickname was being used in a friendly way now._

 

_Ortensia continued to look puzzled._

 

“ _He made us realize we weren't treating them fairly...” The Blue Ninja's squire explained. He turned to her. “Or you, for that matter.”_

 

_She was surprised. “R-really?”_

 

_He nodded once in confirmation. “Yes, really.”_

“ _Yep.” Oswald said. “Your honey-bun did it. He stopped the fighting between the squires and Plop Plop.”_

 

_Ortensia blushed and giggled. “My hero..” She hugged him close._

 

“ _I'm so relieved.” The Yellow Ninja's squire exhaled. “I hated all this hating.”_

 

_The Purple Ninja's squire stifled laughter. “Oh, the irony, hating hate.”_

 

“ _I think loving hate would be more ironic.” The Gray Ninja pointed out._

 

_The Purple Ninja's squire licked her lips slightly and playfully hit his arm. He laughed._

 

_She turned to The Messenger. “That was a really good story. Have you written anymore?”_

 

_The Messenger nodded._

 

“ _Nice! You should try to get that story published. You think the news scroll you relieved will let your story on it?”_

 

“ _Not news worthy..” He stated simply._

 

“ _I see..Hm...Well..I hope we hear more of your stories soon!”_

 

_He smiled lightly and nodded once._

 

_The Green Ninja's squire took out some fresh paper and began drawing. It had been a while since he'd worked on anything else other than the portrait he was making of his ninja. He wanted to capture this moment, to remember it forever. Gently he stroked the paper, trying to get every detail right: The way Ortensia's flower rested on her hat, the length of Oswald's ears, the way The Messenger's hat tipped, the way The Purple Ninja's squire's smile looked as she told a joke. Everything._

 

_In the end everybody came together. Plop Plop had never felt so comfortable around the squires before._

 

_He relaxed enough that he fell asleep, right in the huddled pile of squires._

 

_He woke up to his ninja nudging his shoulder. “Plop Plop..come on...get up.”_

 

“ _Ninja?” Plop Plop yawned._

 

“ _Come on.” He said, helping him up. “It must be uncomfortable sleeping on the floor.”_

 

“ _Yeah.” Plop Plop yawned again, rubbing his eyes. He looked around and to his surprise the other ninjas were there as well, talking to their squires._

 

_The Blue Ninja was giving his squire a stare down, which wasn't all that uncommon. However what he did next was, “Hello...Squire.”_

 

_His squire's eyes widened, and it soon turned into a look of puzzlement. He looked away, not wanting to respond and break the years long silence between them._

 

_The Ninja cleared his throat. “Uh...are you...all right?”_

 

_He looked over at the ninja, nodded once firmly, and looked away. The ninja put his hand to his face and sighed. He gave a gentle smile. “Why don't....you...sleep in my room from now on?”_

 

_This surprised the squire even more than him talking to him. He looked at the other squires as a cry for help, but they were all talking with their ninjas. He sighed and faced his ninja. He opened his mouth, but hesitated._

 

“ _Yes?” This Ninja asked, urging him to finish._

 

“ _....” He looked away and exhaled sharply. The squire looked back with nervous, wide, child-like, eyes. “....W...Why?”_

 

_His Ninja smiled widely. Gently he explained, “Well...I guess it's a second chance...20 years overdue, but..”_

 

_The squire still looked unsure. “I see....”_

 

“ _Come with me, squire. I promise we won't live in silence anymore. We'll get to know each other.” He said._

 

_The squire smiled and got up. “All right...I've hated the silence....”_

 

_They left._

 

_The Green Ninja was still drawing away, trying to get every detail perfect. Right now he was trying to detail the way Oswald's ear folded near the top as accurate as possible._

 

“ _That's a nice drawing.” Someone from behind said, startling him._

 

_He turned around and saw his ninja peering down at his sketch. He was embarrassed and quickly hid it with his arms._

 

_The Ninja frowned. “I thought it was a nice drawing.”_

 

“ _T-thanks..” The squire replied, blushing heavily. He hid his face in his hands quickly to hide it._

 

“ _You okay?” His ninja asked awkwardly._

 

“ _Mhm.” He nodded, his face still in his palms._

 

_The Ninja frowned a put his hand on his shoulder, causing him to blush even more._

 

_The Ninja frowned more. “Well uh...I was wondering...”_

 

“ _y-y-yes?” The squire stuttered out._

 

“ _Do you want to sleep in my room?”_

 

_The squire didn't know he could already blush darker than he already was, but he was wrong. The blush engulfed his whole face and neck. He somehow managed to control it and face his ninja, no longer red faced. “Y-yes.”_

 

_The Ninja smiled, glad he seemed more comfortable._

 

_As they left he kept his hand on his shoulder._

 

_The Purple Ninja approached his squire. “Hey. What did the green grape say to the purple grape?”_

 

_His squire looked confused for a second. She cleared her throat and answered, “Breathe,idiot,breathe?”_

 

“ _Darn you knew that one, lets see...”_

 

_The squire smirked, knowing he was trying to get on her good side. “How about I tell you one?”_

 

“ _Sure.” The Ninja said, forcing a smile._

 

“ _How do snails fight?”_

 

“ _How?”_

 

“ _They slug it out!” She laughed. “Get it?_ _ **Slug**_ _it out! Haha! Ooo, I've got a million of those! Wanna hear another one?”_

 

“ _Uh...sure?”_

 

“ _What would bears be without bees?”_

 

“ _What?”  
_

“ _Ears!” She laughed again._

 

_Before she could ask if he wanted to hear another one, the ninja spoke quickly, “Do you want to stay in my room?”_

 

_She froze mid giggle. “What?”  
_

“ _You know...Share a room.” He said._

 

_His squire smirked and got up. “Well, we kind of all promised we'd never get that close to your ninjas. We spat in our hands and shook them, cut our hands and mixed our blood together. You think I'm the kind of girl who would betray an oath of her fellow squires?”_

 

_The Ninja knew she was joking, but had no way to react. He hated when she used this humor way more than her bad jokes and puns._

 

_She laughed again. “I guess you do. Well, I guess you're right.”_

 

_The Purple Ninja relaxed and left with his squire, who kept cracking jokes as they made their way to his room._

 

_The Orange Ninja's squire was holding The Yellow Ninja's squire in her lap, stroking her hair gently._

 

_The Orange Ninja, and The Yellow Ninja knew they’d have to confront them together. If they didn’t, The Orange Ninja’s squire wouldn’t hesitate to lunge for the throat, so to speak, and there would be little to no chance The Yellow Ninja would get to speak to his squire at all._

  
  


_They both breathed and approached the squires. Instantly, The Orange Ninja’s squire wrapped her arms around the younger squire and gave them both a glare down._

  
  


“ _Please, relax.” Her ninja urged, only making her increase her grasp more._

  
  


_The Yellow Ninja’s squire looked up with her soft eyes sparkling in confusion, yet curiosity. She relaxed into her mother’s arms, as if they were spiky thorns, protecting her from a wild boar._

  
  


“ _We need to talk.” The Orange Ninja explained._

  
  


“ _As do we.” The Yellow Ninja said gently, crouching down to his squire’s level, looking her in the eyes._

  
  


_The Orange Ninja’s squire would have kneed him in the face, except he was was a ninja, and she knew what he was capable of. Instead she just squeezed her daughter tighter, and tried to keep her from making eye contact with her ninja._

  
  


_She looked back to her own ninja. “We have nothing to talk about. You left me because of your brothers! And you!” She faced the other. “You abandoned your squire for the same reason!”_

  
  


_The Yellow Ninja cringed, half because of her tone, and half from the guilt that engulfed him._

  
  


“ _Please, calm down.” The Orange Ninja said._

  
  


“ _Fine.” She huffed. “What do you want to say?”_

  
  


“ _That I’m sorry.”_

  
  


_She raised a brow, “For what?”_

  
  


“ _For what? What do you mean ‘for what”!?”_

  
  


_The squire pursed her lips. “You know darn well you have a lot to apologize to me for.”_

  
  


“ _....” He exhaled sharply. “Fine. I apologize for ending your relationship based on peer pressure.”_

  
  


“ _Well, you’re a few years too late.” She said. “I don’t even care anymore.”_

  
  


“ _I’m not suggesting we get back together.” The ninja explained, only upsetting his squire more. “I’m suggesting we at least be friends.”_

  
  


“ _Friends?” She seemed surprised, as if she’d never considered it possible._

  
  


“ _Yes, friends.” He said. “I didn’t think would want to...get back together or anything like that-”_

  
  


“ _I don’t.”_

  
  


“ _I know! That’s why I’m suggesting we try as friends…”_

  
  


_The Orange Ninja’s squire exhaled sharply and was silent for a moment. “Fine. We can try to be friends.”_

  
  


“ _Great! We can share my room and-”_

  
  


“ _Hold on.” The squire put her hand up. “That doesn’t sound like a friendship, that sounds like a relationship.”_

  
  


“ _Plop Plop shares a room with his ninja.” The Orange Ninja pointed out._

  
  


“ _This is different!”_

  
  


_He sighed angrily. “We’re not going to be sharing a bed or anything! It’s just a way to show trust!”_

  
  


“ _Why should I trust you again?” She asked._

  
  


“ _Because things have already been bad all these years, and I want a chance to make things right between us!”_

  
  


_The Squire thought for another moment. “All right, fine. However, you have to let me take my daughter with me.”_

  
  


“ _Daughter?”_

  
  


_The Yellow Ninja’s face fell at her words. He could barely get out his words, “Oh um….y-y-yes...abo-about t-t-that...I uh um...I...I need to t-talk to m-my squire t-too...I-if you’ll a-allow m-me...:”_

  
  


_The Orange Ninja’s squire was defensive once more and held her daughter closer. “I can barely trust my own ninja, why should I start trusting another one so soon?”_

  
  


“ _Well I uh...I mean...I d-don’t need your trust...I need my s-s-sq...daughter’s.”_

  
  


_The Yellow Ninja’s squire’s eyes lit up. “Daughter?”_

  
  


_If looks could kill, The Orange Ninja’s squire would’ve murdered him then and there._

  
  


“ _Yes.” He said gently. “I’m really sorry, I truly am. I didn’t realize how much more important you being my daughter is, than what my brothers think.”_

  
  
  


“ _Daddy!” The Yellow Ninja's Squire tried to get out of The Orange Ninja's squire's arms, but she held her back._

  
  


“ _Mom?” She asked, sounding hurt and confused._

  
  


“ _Sweetie...” She paused to gather her thoughts. “You shouldn't trust him again...At least not so soon.”_

  
  


“ _But....I want to give him another chance...as my dad.” The younger squire explained._

  
  


“ _Sweetie, please reconsider.” She said._

  
  


“ _Mom.” She replied firmly. “I'm thirteen. I'm old enough to make my own decisions. If I need I'll come to you myself, okay?”_

  
  


_The Orange Ninja's squire exhaled and managed a small smile. “I understand, sweetie.”_

  
  


_She kissed the top of her head and let her go to her father._

  
  


_The Orange Ninja's Squire got up and stood next to her Ninja “Remember, just friends.”_

  
  


“ _Of course.” He said, nodding. “Just friends.”_

  
  


_The sounds everyone heard from their room later that night made them question what they considered friendship._

  
  


_The gray Ninja was nervous about confronting his squire. He felt his stomach churn and vomit burn his throat. His anxiety was getting the better of him. He managed to stop shaking enough to go over._

  
  


_His squire was sitting, lonely without his wisecracking best friend by his side._

  
  


_The Gray Ninja cleared his throat to get his attention. “H-hey.”_

“ _Oh, hi” The Gray Ninja's squire said, giving a small wave. He tried to think of what The Purple Ninja's squire would do in a situation like this._

  
  


_**She'd crack a joke, that's what she'd do! Oh, and I got a good one!** _

  
  


“ _Uh....What do you call a deer with no eyes!?”_

 

_The Gray Ninja was startled by his sudden joke. “Uh...No idea.”_

 

“ _Oh, you knew that one.”_

 

“ _What?” The ninja was confused._

 

“ _No eye'deer...That was the answer.”_

 

“ _Oh, I-I didn't realize... I didn't have a clue.” The Ninja explained._

 

“ _Oh.” His squire replied. “So uh, did you uh want to tell me something?”_

 

“ _Oh, yes! Well, I uh...um..” The Gray Ninja once again cursed his anxiety. “Well..uh...we've never really...bonded...have we?”_

 

“ _Do you count telling me what tasks to do, showing me how to do some of those tasks ,and giving me my meals, as bonding?”_

 

“ _Uh...no..” He said awkwardly._

 

“ _Then no.” His squire stated simply._

 

“ _W-why don't we...t-try.” The Nina asked nervously, his anxiety creeping back._

 

_The Gray Ninja's squire studied him. He realized how much, especially now, he reminded him of his crush, The White Ninja's squire. Because he felt a protective urge surge thorough him that all of the squires (Sans Plop Plop) felt towards The White Ninja's Squire (And what The Orange Ninja's squire felt towards The Yellow Ninja's squire.), the squire decided to do to the ninja, what the others did to calm down White Ninja's squire. He reached his hand and rested it on his shoulder._

 

_The Ninja tensed at the touch at first, but then he relaxed. It was as if he'd learned a ninja relaxation move. (While those did exist, squeezing the shoulder was not one of those moves.)_

 

“ _....Thanks...” The Gray Ninja managed to say._

 

“ _I agree that we should try bonding.” The squire said, giving him a sickly sweet smile, one that he gave The White Ninja's Squire when he was scared._

 

“ _Good...” The Ninja calmed down. “Do you w-want to share a room?”_

 

“ _...Sure...” The squire said, giving him another sweet smile to hide any anxiety he felt himself._

 

_The White Ninja would have to try the hardest and he knew this._

 

_Feeling scared without The Blue Ninja's squire, The White Ninja's squire pressed his back to the wall, hugging his knees tightly. He hid his face and tried desperately to relax._

 

_The Ninja walked over, keeping his footsteps light so he wouldn't startle him. Luckily his squire didn't noticed._

 

_The White Ninja took this chance to get a good look over of his squire:_

 

_His white robe had patches of red and bright orange from attempts to wash the blood from beatings out._

 

_The Ninja knew his own suit was a bit shiny with his squire's dried blood, and his headband with specs of red, like raindrops._

 

_He thought of what to do next. He knew he'd put his squire through a lot of trauma, which he felt terrible for causing. He decided he needed to take things slowly._

 

_He crouched down to his eye level. Sensing someone else was there, his squire poked his head up, and froze when he saw his ninja, like a dog cornered by a wild boar._

 

“ _Hey.” The Ninja said in a gentle tone. It was the same tone the squires used with him after he'd been beaten._

 

_His eyes bulged and he attempted to back up more, even though he was already against the wall. He wished this house was made of paper like the others, so his weight would push him through. Alas, it was still solid wood._

 

“ _Are you okay?” The White Ninja asked, as if it was peculiar for his squire to be scared of him._

 

_The squire remained tense against the wall and looked around for assistance. Unfortunately everyone else had left the room._

_The Ninja frowned and put his hand out to him._

 

_His squire whimpered and got into defensive mode, expecting to be beaten. He lifted his knees to cover his face, and for more protection put up his hands as well. He whimpered and shook heavily. The dried blood spots seemed to be shining even more._

 

_The White Ninja gently rested his hand on his squire's shoulder. Not knowing what to do, the squire froze, and allowed his ninja to grip his shoulder. With his current posture becoming uncomfortable, he put his legs down and helplessly looked up._

 

“ _You okay now?”_

 

_He nodded slowly, carefully, thinking he was being tested. He thought the hand would hit him soon enough, beat him, make him bleed, like usual._

 

“ _Good.” The Ninja smiled._

 

_Fearing he might get hit if he didn't, the squire smiled. It was a shaky smile, but still a smile._

 

_The Ninja paused to think of the last time he beat his squire. He realized it was before he left to fight The Sorcerer. “Are you still sore?”  
_

_The squire nodded._

 

“ _Come with me..” The Ninja said. His squire complied, thinking he'd get beat if he didn't._

 

_They walked through the hallway to the bathing room. He grabbed a towel, dampened it, and started washing his wounds._

 

_The squire tensed. He was confused, but allowed him to do it. They stayed silent, one out of fear, and one because he had no idea what to say. The cloth was soon stained with dark red spots. The squire winced occasionally, making the guilt from the ninja rise more._

 

_When he finished he looked over his robe again and cringed at all the blood stains._

 

“ _...Go change into your sleeping robes and bring back your robe to me, okay?”_

 

_The squired nodded. He quickly got changed and came back. To The White Ninja's horror he also had blood stains on his sleeping robes._

 

_**I guess I'll deal with those ones tomorrow.** _

_The Ninja had filled a tub of water and had several cut lemons beside it._

 

“ _One of the squires, for the life of me, I can’t remember which one, said lemon juice gets out blood stains.” He gripped his own headband and let out a small, dry, chuckle. “I haven’t gotten around to trying it yet. Well, I guess we’ll see with yours.”_

  
  


_The squire nodded, trying to stay quiet. He hugged his knees tightly, unable to fully understand what was going on, or why his ninja was asking so odd. Sure he was glad he wasn’t getting beaten, but who’s to say he wouldn’t?_

  
  


_Maybe the ninja would his sword and cut him, maybe a huge gash, but perhaps a small cut, then squeeze lemon juice in. He’d done crueler things in the past, so what was to stop him from doing more than that? Maybe his eyes would be the next target, then his hands, so when he rubbed his eyes, he couldn’t get relief, only more lemon juice._

  
  


_He gulped and shook, thinking of more things that could happen to him. The White Ninja picked up a half lemon, making his squire flinch a bit. The Ninja frowned as he squeezed the lemon juice into the tub of water. He took the bloodstained robe and put it in, then scrubbed._

  
  


_The squire watched in bewilderment as the water turned a murky brown. When The Ninja pulled out the robe it still had some small reddish stains, but a lot of them had come out._

  
  


_**He’s just getting a clean palette. He wants to know how much he can make me bleed next time I have a feeling that next time….is now.** _

  
  


_The ninja placed the robe on a drying rack, which was positioned on dark rocks to get the best placement in the sun.  It would take a while to dry since the sun wasn’t up, but he figured his squire would be fine in his sleeping robes for a few hours the next day._

  
  


“ _Are you ready for bed?” He asked._

  
  


_His squire nodded and started heading back to the squire quarters._

  
  


“ _Where are you going?”_

  
  


_The squire froze immediately. He turned around, slowly, expecting a fist or palm to come at his face. He was shaking as heavily as he did when the ninja first confronted him in the quarters._

  
  


“ _You’re sleeping in my room.”_

  
  


_**Maybe he wants to do nightly beatings now...Oh no...Night was the only time I felt safe!** _

  
  


_He nodded to show he understood and followed his ninja. They entered his room._

  
  


_The Ninja got into his bed, leaving his squire stand awkwardly._

“ _Well? Aren’t you going to sleep?” The White Ninja asked, puzzled._

  
  


_The squire nodded and laid on the floor._

  
  


_**This isn’t as comfy as my sleeping mat...I wish I could have brought it with.** _

  
  


“ _I meant on the bed.” The Ninja clarified._

  
  


_His squire gulped, still feeling like he was going to be beaten. He managed to stumble over and get into the bed, staying as far away from the ninja as possible, and hugging his knees tightly to his chest. He tried to sleep, but he had a feeling he wouldn’t be able to._

  
  


_He held his eyes tightly shut in case he was hit in the face, but it never happened. In fact he drifted off to sleep. When he woke up a few hours later, to his surprise, his ninja was snuggled against him._

  
  


_For the first time in 20 years, he relaxed._

 

_As Plop Plop and The Red Ninja made their way to their room, the squires and ninjas each came up to say “Goodnight” to them, something they'd never done before. (Besides The Yellow Ninja's Squire who, when she knew she wouldn't be caught, would hug Plop Plop and The Red Ninja, and say goodnight. Her mother caught her often and told her, “Sweetie, don't associate with them. Being a squire is already seen as low, but being seen with them? Well...It makes you lower than low.” The young squire would halfheartedly agree and follow her mother back to The Squire's Quarters, not believing the two to be lower at all.)_

 

“ _Sleep tight, don’t let the ninja bugs bite!” Teased The Purple Ninja’s Squire, who then laughed at her joke._

  
  


_Plop Plop let out a small chuckle to be polite, even though what she said barely counted as a joke. However the grin that plastered on her face after he chuckled was worth it._

  
  


_The Gray Ninja’s squire was still giggling when he said, “Good...Goodnight..P..Plop Plop….Oh gosh! Ninja bugs!? Haha, what a riot!”_

  
  


_Plop Plop chuckled again. “Yeah….what a riot…”_

  
  


_The Orange, Green, and Blue Ninjas’ squires mainly just gave a small nod, a smile, and a friendly “Goodnight”._

  
  


_Plop Plop had no idea where The White Ninja’s squire was, but he was worried. His Ninja could have taken him somewhere to beat him again. Before he could voice his concern, he was hugged tightly._

  
  


_He looked down to see The Yellow Ninja’s squire hugging tightly and resting her face in his chest. In a the sweetest, most gentle voice, she said, “Good night Plop Plop.”_

  
  


_Plop Plop smiled and patted her back. “Goodnight.”_

  
  


_She pulled back and wrapped her arms around The Red Ninja next. The Ninja tensed for a second, not used to such closeness, except with his squire,Julius, and Oswald. He relaxed a few moments later and stroked the young squire’s hair gently, as if she was his own daughter._

  
  


_She pulled back and giggled “Good night, Ninja!”_

  
  


_Finally the squire pet Oswald and Julius before following her father to his room._

  
  


_Plop Plop, The Red Ninja, Julius, and Oswald entered their room and got into bed: Oswald and Julius were both sandwiched between Plop Plop and The Ninja as usual. Despite this, Plop Plop was still able to rest his head on The Red Ninja’s chest and hug him close. To him, his ninja was way more comfy than the bedding._

  
  


“ _So….What was that green smoke stuff anyway?” Plop Plop asked._

  
  


“ _I don’t...exactly know.”_

  
  


“ _Oh...Where was it coming from?”_

  
  


“ _Some evil creature. He was green and wrinkly, like a lizard, and he called himself The Sorcerer.” The Ninja explained. “He shot that green smoke from his hands.”_

  
  


“ _You stopped him though..Right?” Plop Plop sounded slightly nervous._

  
  


_The Ninja didn’t reply._

  
  


“ _Right?”_

  
  


“ _He...managed to escape.” The Ninja explained. “However, he has become our main enemy, and we won’t stop until he is defeated.”_

  
  


“ _I figured. What kind of heroes would let their village be taken over by a giant magic lizard?” Plop Plop asked, rolling his eyes._

  
  


_The Ninja frowned in annoyance and tried to fall asleep.  Plop Plop closed his eyes as well and fell asleep cuddled against him._

  
  


_Although, his imagination ran wild with what The Sorcerer could possibly be like._

  
  


_He even dreamed of him:_

  
  


_**A giant light green lizard loomed over the village, hundreds of feet tall. Down his back and tail were light blue puffy scales. His orange eyes scanned the village for a place to attack.  He moved his fingers causing the green smoke to come out.** _

  
  


_**Everyone ran in fear from this monster, but they couldn’t escape it when he slashed his tail against various buildings. Some of them got swept away by this motion and tumbled into the buildings.** _

  
  


_**Plop Plop stood there nervously, unsure what to do.** _

  
  


_**When The Sorcerer saw him he smiled widely and let out a deep laugh. In the same deep tone as the laugh he bellowed, “Looky here! One of those Ninja’s squires is here! Well, why don’t you join the rest of the ninjas?....In Hell!”** _

  
  


_**He bent down and in a swift motion grabbed him. Plop Plop screamed and struggled to get loose.** _

  
  


_**The Sorcerer cackled and opened his mouth, full of sharp, pointy,white teeth, and his dark purple tongue. He dropped Plop Plop in and ate him.** _

  
  


_Plop Plop woke up in a cold sweat and took in his surroundings. His breathing relaxed when he realized he was in The Red Ninja’s room, and not hell, or The Sorcerer’s stomach._

  
  


“ _Plop Plop?” Oswald asked, rubbing his eyes and yawing. “Are you okay?”_

  
  


“ _Y-yeah Oswald..I’m fine…” Plop Plop said. “Just go back to sleep.”_

  
  


_Oswald frowned. “Are you sure?”_

  
  


“ _Yes, it was just a dream…” Plop Plop said._

  
  


_Oswald frowned more and hugged Plop Plop tightly. Plop Plop stroked his ears, back, and head gently._

 

“ _What happened in it?” Oswald asked._

 

“ _The Sorcerer was there and he was destroying the village.” Plop Plop explained. Oswald hugged tighter. “Oswald, I'm fine, really.”_

 

“ _Are you sure?” He asked, snuggling closer._

 

“ _Yes.” Plop Plop yawned and laid back down. Oswald snuggled close and they both fell asleep._  
  


……

  
  


The Ninja was laying his bed looking at the ceiling, unsure what to do. Despite everyone in the other room, he felt…so alone….

  
  


He closed his eyes and listened to the rain, and the howling of a wolf outside. It was the same wolf he’d seen almost every day now since he first got Julius. He had no idea why she came to the exact place to howl, but oddly, it calmed him.

  
  


….

  
  


Aleu knew fully well why she howled outside of their house: It stopped the visions. Well, at least for a while.

  
  


Two years go she’d only been having visions of The Alpha The Color of Blood, and Dark Prey. Curious she decided to go check out the place she saw, and when she did the visions stopped.

  
  


When she went back at night the visions came back and she could barely sleep.

  
  


So, Aleu came her often and howled to let her pack know she was all right. She sighed as she watched the moon start to come into view. She couldn’t waste much more time here.

Aleu sighed and started trudging back to her pack’s territory.

…..

  
  


The Ninja was stressed beyond belief. His eyes watered, but they never fully developed into tears. He closed his eyes and listened to the rain pounding on the roof, noticing the wolf had left.

 

Slowly he dozed off and ended up dreaming:

 

_Thick,green,heavy fog was gathering. The Ninja coughed as it filled into his throat. As he coughed the smoke turned eight different colors: Red,Blue,Green,Purple,Yellow,Orange,White, and Gray._

 

_In perfect harmony all the colors except red swirled together in a circle. The red was like an outcast and lingered to the side. It split in half and formed into a cat. The cat frolicked and skipped around, until it came in contact with the green smoke, then it froze. Slowly it arched it's back and hissed at the smoke and lunged forward._

 

_The Ninja reached forward and grabbed him. The smoke faded away, and he was in the middle of the village, holding newborn Julius, whose paws were face up. On his paws were shiny red markings, shape like the number nine. Then he started batting and biting The Ninja's headband. He hadn't even noticed he had his suit on. The end of the headband fell limp on the kitten's head as if he was wearing it him. Julius batted his red nine paws._

 

_The clouds mushed together and began to storm. Julius, having now aged into a young kitten jumped out of his arms and ran around: Splashing in every puddle, catching rain drops on his tongue, and even trying to catch them._

 

_One of the clouds floated down and formed into a wolf. The wolf who always howled by their house. However, this time here eyes were shining a bright yellow. Fearing it was a stank, The Ninja drew a sword and ran forward._

 

_He felt himself be forced to a stop and he could only watch the wolf lean and her head down and sniff Julius. They touched noses as if they were bonding._

 

_The wolf spoke with a sweet voice, “You're going to find your place in The Grand Design soon, I promise.”_

 

_Julius purred and nuzzled her cheek._

 

_The landscape changed again with pines sprouting over a thousand feet tall each. Up above the clouds were still pouring rain heavily. They seemed to take on the shape of a nine that was on Julius's paws._

 

_Oh no, Julius!_

 

_He tried to call for him, but his voice wouldn't leave his throat. As he coughed the green smoke filled the air again. In the center it formed into The Sorcerer's face. Gripping his sword tightly, he ran forward, but he tripped. The Sorcerer cackled evilly as he failed to get up, or even get on his hands and knees._

 

_At the soft pitter patter of paws, The Ninja looked over to see Julius at his current age. He heard howling and looked over to see the wolf on a ledge made of green smoke howling. She looked over, her bright yellow eyes shining. Julius nodded and grabbed the sword._

 

_The Ninja's eyes widened. Despite how tightly he was holding, how desperate he was for Julius not to take it, it slipped out of his grasp. Next Julius gripped The Ninja's headband and pulled it off. He tied it around his head and leaped forward, the nines on his paws still visible._

 

_The Ninja held his breath as he watch Julius slash the sword against The Sorcerer's face, causing him to scream out in pain, then gather stank in his hands._

 

_The Ninja could only lay there, watching the battle unfold. More paws got his attention. He looked to the side and saw the wolf's paws by his eye level. He looked up and met her eyes._

 

“ _You share your place in The Grand Design...He needs you.” She leaned down and gripped some of the suit's fabric in her mouth, then lifted him into a standing position. She dropped a sword and headband by his feet._

 

_Quickly he tied it on, grabbed the sword, and charged The Sorcerer._

 

_Together he and Julius attacked in perfect unison and took down The Sorcerer._

 

… _.._

 

Aleu awoke with a start, panting as he she looked around the cave.

 

“Aleu!” Matsu ran to her. “Aleu, are you all right?”

 

“Huh, Matsu?” Aleu asked groggily. She got up and stretched her back. “Yeah, I'm fine. I just had the weirdest dream. It didn't feel like my dream.”

 

“Because it wasn't.”

 

“Muru!” Aleu said excitedly. However that excitement turned to puzzlement. “What do you mean it wasn't my dream?”

 

“That was The Alpha The Color of Blood's dream.” Muru explained, as he found a seed on the ground to nibble on.

 

“But how...?”

 

“Your powers!” Muru explained.

 

Aleu was still confused. “But...My powers only let me see things in the distance...don't they?”

 

Muru chuckled. “That's not half of what you're capable of! You can use your powers to give _others_ visions as well.”

 

“By their dreams?”

 

“That's only one of the ways.” Muru explained.

 

“What are the others? Muru? Muru! Ugh, he left again..” Aleu sighed. “Matsu I'm going into the village again..”

 

“Be careful.” Matsu called after her as she walked off.

 

 

… _..._

 

The Ninja woke up, confused about his dream. His head ached and he stroked it gently. He walked back into the main room to see the others waiting.

 

“We need to write a declaration to the village of my brothers and sisters' passing.”

 

“Sisters?” Plop Plop asked.

 

“Those squires...Were family too.” The Ninja said. “They've been here since we were two, and they deserve remembrance too.”

 

Plop Plop nodded, seeing the point.

 

“Get out some paper, Plop Plop.” The Ninja said.

 

Plop Plop looked around for paper: None in the main room, none in the bedroom, none in the bathing room...none in the meditation room. Where else could it be?

 

Plop Plop froze, knowing exactly where he could find some. He walked to The Green Ninja's room, trying to be as quiet as possible, as if he was in there sleeping and would awake if he was too loud. The door creaked and Plop Plop looked inside.

 

It was dark, but the objects could still be made out: the bedding, art supplies scattered on the floor, and wood carved figures by the window. It was still and preserved by time. This is why Plop Plop was hesitant to go in and grab paper from the pile. He had to close his eyes and forget what room he was in. As soon as his hand touched paper, he hurried out of the room.

 

He came back with the paper, ready to write.

 

All of them worked through the night writing a letter to be sent out:

 

_**Dearest Villagers of Norrisville,** _

 

_**We have sad news to deliver. Seven members of The Norisu Eight and their squires have passed away, due to an attack by The Sorcerer.** _

 

_**I, The Red Ninja promise I will do all I can to protect this village from now on, especially The Sorcerer.** _

 

_**If you you come into any proximity of him, run away. Please go to the shelter immediately. Do not approach,talk to,challenge, or even look at The Sorcerer. Run away and I repeat go to the villager shelter.** _

 

_**If the shelter itself is under attack evacuate the village immediately. Ideally my squire, Plop Plop will be there to escort you out.** _

 

_**In that case, please stick together and stay strong.** _

 

_**I will do the best I can to protect you.** _

 

 

_**The Red Ninja** _

 

“Sounds good.” Ortensia said. “Now we need like, what? One hundred more to pass out to the villagers?”

 

Plop Plop groaned knowing he'd have to write them.

 

…...

 

Back in The Land of Shadows, The Sorceress remained with The Peddler.

 

She laid against a rock and sighed, swirling around her purple stank for entertainment. The Peddler watched on with wide eyes, the purple reflecting off his eyes. As much as he'd hate to admit it, he thought it was pretty cool.

 

“I can't believe I'm stuck here.” The Sorceress smiled, shooting stank back and forth like a yo-yo.

 

“You get used to it.” The Peddler said. Although his back and wrists still ached horribly. “And at least Blurryface leaves you alone.”

 

“I suppose so.” She sighed in boredom.

 

“And you can move around freely.” He pointed out.

 

“Yes, but I don't want to get back into that larva lake or pig field again.” She shuddered.

 

“...What's it like out there?”

 

The Sorceress looked over. “What do you mean?”

 

“I woke up chained here.” He explained. “I've never seen the outside of this cave.”

 

“I see...Hm....Well...” The Sorceress thought for a moment. “There are tons of rocks with faces carved on them?”

“Ooo, what kinds of faces?” He asked, starting to sound excited.

 

“Monster faces.” The Sorceress said simply, not wanting to talk to him more than she had to.

 

However, he didn't stop. “What else?”

 

“There's a field of pig parts...Their heads and ends.” She shuddered again thinking of her experiences in there. “And a pit of larva.”

 

“That sounds fun.” The Peddler said.

 

The Sorceress raised a brow. “Fun?”

 

He nodded. “Yes, fun. You know what fun is, don't you?”

 

“Of course I do!” She hissed. “However, I don't see how any of those things are remotely fun.”

 

“Yes.” He said, nodding excitedly. “Before I was trapped here, I used to spend quite a bit of time with the pigs. They were nice little piggies, especially the piglets! They press their little snouts to your leg and sniff, it tickles so much.”

  
  


The Sorceress looked disgusted. “You let those things touch you?”

  
  


“Yes.” He said smiling at the memory of the small, pink piglets coming up to him, pressing their noses to him, and letting out squeals and oinks playfully.

  
  


“I don’t know why you’d let the most _vile_ of creatures near you.” She sneered.

  
  


“I’ve seen more vile…” He sighed.

  
  


“What does that mean?” The Sorceress sneered again, assuming he meant her.

  
  


“....Blurryface has shown me The Sorcerer.” He said sadly, looking to the ceiling, dripping with water.

  
  


“The Sorceress” The Sorceress started, “Is the most beautiful creature I have ever laid eyes on!”

  
  


“To you, yes. To me, no.” The Peddler sighed. “Whenever Blurryface shows him….She says things like “Look at the havoc your causing!” or “You really enjoy your power, don’t you?”......He’s not me though...I’d never do anything that...monster...does!”

  
  


“You humans are too emotional.” The Sorceress hissed.

  
  


“I don’t see why that’s a bad thing.” The Peddler replied.

  
  


The Sorceress sighed in annoyance and stood up. She made her way over, making him uncomfortable. She pointed one of her crooked fingers at him. “I don’t understand how you humans can function will all these emotions in the way.”

  
  


“They’re not bad, Sorceress.” The Peddler explained. “In fact, I’m grateful for my emotions.”

  
  


“Why?”

  
  


“They’re a part of being alive.” He explained. “It’s all an experience.”

  
  


“They get in the way if you want global conquest!”

  
  


“I can see some a lot of emotion in you.”

  
  


“What? Explain!”

  
  


“The most obvious one is anger and hatred.” He pointed out. “You’re fond of….that thing...as well.”

  
  


“The Sorcerer! He’s not a thing!” She hissed loudly.

  
“Him.” The Peddler corrected. “You love him. Hate and love power you.”

  
  


_**Inside The Sorceress's head....** _

  
  


_The Sorceress's Disgust and Anger had taken control of her emotions._

  
  


“ _What does he know?” Disgust spat._

  
  


“ _Yeah!” Her Anger fumed “I'm going to_ _ **snap**_ _if that peddler doesn't shut his trap!”_

  
  


“ _He doesn't understand...” Her sadness chimed in. Anger and Disgust shot a glare that made her back away into the corner where Joy and Fear hid._

  
  


_Ever since the woman had become The Sorceress, Joy was no longer in control, Anger ans Disgust basically banned her, Sadness, and Fear from the controls._

  
  


_They stood there in silence watching Anger and Disgust bicker about The Peddler. They thought of when things were better, when they all had an equal role. They had a feeling things would never be the same again._

  
  


… _.._

  
  


_**Inside The Peddler's Mind....** _

  
  


_Everyone worked together. His Joy stood in command, all the others standing by him as his friends._

_All of them worked in harmony, giving The Peddler a balance of emotions. It made him feel alive._

  
  


_Like how it used to be in The Sorceress's mind....and probably never would again._

  
  


…..

  
  


“Well you...” She started. “Your joy, sadness, and fear make you weak!”

  
  


“Then....I guess I'm fine being weak.”

  
  


“You are so infuriating, you know that?”

  
  


….

  
  


Everyone worked together and managed to write over one hundred copies of the notice to pass out to the villagers. Each took a pile of papers and went off separately to cover more ground.

  
  


Julius held the papers close to his chest as he walked. The rain had softened to a drizzle, but he didn't want to ink to smudge.

  
  


He sighed as he approached the man and the woman he'd heard talking many times at the shelter.

  
  


“Hello there little kitty.” The woman greeted, leaning down, hands on her knees, looking at his eye level.

  
  


“Ay cat.” The man said then spat on the ground. “What you got there?”  
  
Julius handed over one paper, so he could have the others to pass out later. The woman went for the grab, but the man got it first. He scanned it over, his eyes moving fast over the paper.

  
  


“Well, shoot!” He said, shoving the paper into the woman's hands. She tried to read as much of the rain smudged writing as she could before he spoke again. “Them Ninjas died.”

  
  


“What!?” The woman said, reading over the paper. “Oh dear, that's awful! The poor Red Ninja...He's all alone now isn't he?”

  
  


“Well, 'sides that squire of his and that bunny-boy, he's pretty lonesome, I suppose.”

  
  


Julius knew The Red Ninja had more support than “that squire” and “that bunny-boy” but he still felt it needed to stay a secret, and stayed silent.

  
  


He walked off and passed out papers to other villagers. They seemed to have a few similar reactions: Sadness, crying about their heroes loss. Anger, cursing The Sorcerer out, and saying The Red Ninja would take him down. Then a mix of both, of villagers cursing through tears.

  
  


On his last paper he bumped into a girl with a dark bob cut, looking angry.

  
  


“Alice! I uh...” Julius trailed off.

  
  


“You didn't come back.” Alice said, crossing her arms.

  
  


“I-I'm sorry.” Julius said, “Something came up...”

  
  


“What?” Alice asked, biting her lip in anger.

  
  


Julius hesitated and felt warm. He knew he could be outed if he showed her the paper. Shakily he handed her the paper.

  
  


Alice read it over and her face fell. “O-oh....I'm so sorry.”

  
  


Despite him being damp from the rain, Alice hugged Julius tightly, getting water stains on her clothes. She started crying and Julius patted her back.”

  
  


“S-so y-you...you belong to the messenger, huh?” She sniffled.

  
  


_Of course! She must have seen him passing the notices out! Well, I sure dodged a rock there!_

“....Yeah....” Julius lied. “The other cat, Ortensia, is my sister.”

  
  


“That's nice. She said, managing a small smile. “I've seen her deliver mail before.”

 

She paused. “Why haven't I seen you do it?”

 

Julius felt warm again. _Darn it! Here comes that rock, and it's gonna hit me for sure this time!_

 

“Because....uh...Mail delivery isn't my forte.” Julius thought up quickly. “Yeah...I'm better at...other things...Just not mail delivery.”

 

'Then what is?” Alice asked, smirking. “Fighting?”

 

“Yeah.” He chuckled. He crouched down a bit, laughing.

 

Alice giggled too and crouched like a boxer. They threw playful punches at each other, laughing the whole time.

 

Julius chased after her, and they splashed through the puddles. “You'll never beat Julius the Cat!”

 

They both laughed and giggled, prancing around, not caring how wet they were getting. Julius pounced and tackled Alice into a mud puddle. “S-sorry Alice, I didn't mean t-”

 

Alice only laughed and shoved some mud in his face. He spat out the mud that got in his mouth and laughed.

 

The two of them rolled around and wrestled in the mud, enjoying themselves despite the tragic event that occurred only a few hours prior.

 

They stared up to the sky, watching as the rain fell down, dripping on their faces, giggling the whole time. Julius grabbed Alice's hand, and she grabbed his paw.

 

“I forgive you, Julius.” She said.

 

“Thank you.” Julius said, smiling.

 

The rain pattered down and they both lay there, holding hands, and enjoying each others' company.

 

….....

 

Ortensia finished up passing out her notices and met up with Oswald. “Hey Ozzy!”

 

“Hello my honey-bun.” Oswald said with a smile. He leaned in and gave her a kiss on the cheek. He frowned when he noticed some stray tears on her face and wiped them away. Oswald put his hand on her arm and his voice became gentle. “Hey, are you all right, Ortensia?”

 

“Yeah.” She sniffled. “I just thought...I..I mean...things were really turning around weren't they?”

 

Oswald's ears lowered and he sighed. “Yeah they were...But everything will be fine honey-bun.”

 

“Oh Ozzy.” She cried into his chest. He held her closer and kissed the top of her head.

 

“We should head back.” Oswald said, looking up to the sky. “The rain is starting to fall harder, and I don't want you to get soaked.”

 

“R-right..O-oswald..” She sniffled.

 

He grabbed his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze, with a smile for good measure. Ortensia smiled too and they headed back.

 

….......

 

Plop Plop and The Messenger ran into each other after they each passed out the rest of their papers.

 

“Oh uh..hi.” Plop Plop greeted awkwardly. “So, you got all yours delivered?”

 

The Messenger nodded once, and the two walked together.

 

“This is kind of weird...isn't it?”

 

The Messenger stared for a moment before nodding again.

 

“I mean things were beginning to get better, and then....Bam! The Sorcerer wipes them all out!” Plop Plop sighed. “I...I actually felt like...I was...part of them.”

 

The Messenger frowned, his eyes looked sad. He gently put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently.

 

“Things are horrible right now.” Plop Plop sighed.

 

“....They are.....”

 

Plop Plop looked surprised. It wasn't like The Messenger never spoke, but it was still pretty rare.

 

“But...” He continued. “It won't always be horrible. We won't fully get over it, but, we will enough to be able to function without them.”

 

“Right...Thanks...” Plop Plop said, not sure if he believed him or not. He just wanted to go home and sleep. He was beyond exhausted, along with being sore, physically and emotionally.

 

Thunder roared in the clouds. Plop Plop shivered as the cold rain touched him. The Messenger put his arm around him for warmth.

 

“T-thanks..” Plop Plop shivered, crossing his arms to his chest.

 

The Messenger smiled and nodded again. They were close to The Ninja's residence.

 

….........

 

Julius and Alice continued to play in the mud and rain for about another hour or so, laughing and skipping the whole time.

 

“Julius?” Alice said. The two of them were sitting under a deserted vendor's cart, to stay out of the now pouring rain.

 

“Yeah?”

 

“You're my very best friend.”

 

Julius smiled, “And you're mine too, Alice.”

 

“And we'll always be friends forever, won't we?” Alice asked, hugging the cat close.

 

“Yeah, forever!” Julius agreed. He yawned and curled up into her lap and closed his eyes, purring.

 

Alice smiled and pet him, before falling asleep herself.

 

They both had dreams.....

 

_**Julius' Dream.....** _

 

_Stank surrounded the frightened cat. It encircled him and engulfed him. It started changing his body, mutating it into another one of The Sorcerer's monsters._

_He hissed and roared into the sky angrily, as if he was cursing The Sorcerer out, and not in primal instinct._

_He thrashed his claws, trying to get the stank away from him. Despite being a stank he was oddly...aware...He knew stank was bad and wanted it gone._

 

_Julius parted the clouds of stank and was met with two people: The Ninja and Alice._

 

_They each stared him down with two very different expressions. Alice was smiling happily, and gave off and overall friendly look. Julius somehow knew The Ninja was giving his usual stoic look under his mask._

 

“ _Julius!” Alice giggled. “Julius, come here! Lets play! We can visit the vendors, buy some peaches, and eat them under the sun! Then we can skip around the village and be little trouble makers!”_

 

“ _Julius.” The Ninja said sternly. “You're the cat of Ninja, you have no time to play. I need to stop The Sorcerer, and you need to be on the look out for him.”_

 

_Julius let out confused growls as he looked back and forth from Alice to Ninja. He had to make a decision and he knew it._

 

_One on paw, The Ninja has raised him from a baby, despite his brothers' objections._

 

_On the other paw, Alice had become his best friend. He didn't want to leave some one he had so much fun with._

 

_He roared in stress, which didn't phase either of them. He was kind of surprised The Ninja wasn't trying to stop him, or that Alice wasn't frightened._

 

_**Why can't I choose both?!** _

 

“ _Who says you can't?” Asked a voice._

 

_Julius looked up and saw the wolf who howled by their house often. Her eyes were a gentle yellow instead of blue. She leaped down off her rock and approached him. She gave him a gentle smile, trying to take the attention away from her eyes. She knew she had stank eyes, but she didn't want him to think she was one of them._

 

“ _She's your friend.” Aleu said, nodding towards Alice. “But your destiny is with The Alpha The Color Of Blood.”_

 

“ _The Alpha The Color Of Blood?” Julius asked, puzzled._

 

_Aleu nodded to The Ninja. “Your place is with him, but...That doesn't mean you can't have friends. You just need balance.”_

 

“ _Balance...” Julius repeated._

 

_**Alice's Dream.....** _

 

_Julius and Alice were skipping through the village, the sun shining brightly._

 

“ _I'm gonna get you, Julius!” She giggled._

 

“ _No, you won't!” He laughed, running ahead of her._

 

_The two ran into the town messenger and his female cat. He stared the both of them down, stoic._

 

“ _H-hello...” Alice greeted with a small wave, nervous in his presence. She didn't know what it was about him: His hard eyes, his straight mouth,his bushy facial hair, or just him all together._

 

_The female cat wasn't that much more comforting: Her eyes narrowed and an angry frown was on her face. She tapped her foot impatiently and jerked her tail around._

 

_Alice looked over to Julius who froze up. He wrung his tail in his paws, his eyes widened, and his teeth chattered._

 

_The messenger scowled and back hand slapped Julius. He yelped and stumbled back. The female cat hissed and extended her claws, then pounced him. She pinned him and started clawing him._

 

“ _No!” Alice yelled, running over. She pushed the cat off, and picked Julius up. He let out a weak groan and looked up with half closed eyes._

 

“ _Alice...” He coughed. His eyes rolled back and he became limp in her arms._

 

“ _No....No!” Alice sobbed, tears rolled down her cheek. She squeezed his close to her chest as if he was sleeping. “Julius...Julius, no! Please...get up! Please! Julius! No!_ _ **No!**_ _”_

 

_She cried into his corpse, wetting his fur. The messenger and his now bleeding and dirt covered cat trudged over._

 

_The messenger growled and grabbed Alice's wrist tightly, causing her to scream out in pain. The cat grabbed her other arms and sunk her claws in, grinning madly like a Cheshire cat._

 

“ _L-let go!” Alice yelled. “Let go!”_

 

_Instead the cat sunk her fangs into her neck._

….....

Alice woke in a cold sweat, panting heavily. She looked in her lap and was glad to see Julius still curled up asleep in her lap. She relaxed and stroked him, causing him to purr and gently move his tail back and fourth. Alice smiled, glad it was all just a dream.

 

_Is this why he's always so jittery? Because of the messenger? It makes sense...Why else would be he scared of all the time!? Poor little guy...I have to keep him away from the messenger!_

 

Julius yawned and got up, stretching his back and arms. “Hey, Alice.”

 

“Hi Julius.” She gave him a small smile.

 

Julius looked at the now dried mud caked on his fur. “Ugh! I have to get cleaned up.”

 

He started to groom himself by licking his paws and legs, but the mud had already hardened. He spat out some dirt in disgust. “Well this isn't working, I need to bathe.”

 

He started to get out of her lap. Alice panicked and pulled him close.

 

“Uh, Alice? Is something wrong?”

 

“No, nothing's wrong...I was just thinking...Maybe I could bathe you?” She tried to not sound suspicious.

 

“Thank you.” Julius said with a warm smile. “But, I need to get going anyway. My master might be worried about me.”

 

“...W-why don't you tell me about your master?” Alice asked.

 

“Well I uh...” He seemed worried and wrung his tail, while avoiding eye contact. “I don't have time to talk about him right now, Alice. Maybe next time.”

 

He tried to leave again, but Alice grabbed him. “Are you sure?”

 

Julius felt rushed. He knew The Ninja would want him back soon. He thought quickly of what he could say about The Messenger, “Um...Lets see....He delivers mail...Um...He's...quiet...and...I really have to go Alice, I'm sorry.”

 

Alice frowned. “O-okay...Be careful, okay Julius?”

 

“Don't worry, I will.” Julius comforted before heading off.

 

Alice sighed. _Poor Julius..._

 

….....

Aleu jolted awake. “Was I taking over another dream?”

 

“Yes.” Muru chuckled.

 

“Muru!” Aleu said, she walked over and crouched to his eye level.

 

“You're learning a lot about your place in The Grand Design without me. I'm so proud!” Muru said.

 

“Yes, but..” Aleu bit her lip. “I'm still confused.”

 

“About what my dear?”

 

“Well...Why do I have these powers? Why do I keep having visions about Dark Prey, and The Alpha The Color of Blood?” Aleu asked, standing up again.

 

“It's your destiny. Not one you were born with, but one you gained.” Muru explained. “Think back to your childhood....”

 

_Balto ran around the beach with his and Jenna's puppies. Aleu tackled Kodi down and playfully tugged his ear. Kodi laughed and pawed her off. The other puppies joined in and started chasing one another. Unfortunately Kodi was left behind._

 

_Aleu took the lead, she'd always been a natural leader of the dogs. She didn’t know it at the time but it was her wolf instinct that made her a such a natural at leading. Sometimes though she was too fast and out ran her siblings. This was one of those days._

  
  


_Aleu giggled as she ran. “They’ll never be able to catch me!”_

  
  


_Aleu tripped and let out an “Oof’ of pain. She rubbed a paw against her head, “Ugh, what happened?”_

  
  


_She looked near where she tripped and noticed a strange, glowing, green rock. Curiously she went over and sniffed it. It smelled awful, and made Aleu slink back and cough harshly. However, still being curious she nudged her paw against it. She yelped as a jolt of static rushed through her._

  
  


_Aleu fainted._

  
  


_**Visions of green swirled around her. She felt her paws leave the ground and she was floating. Aleu swam through the green smoke until she came across a small brown mouse. She playfully chased after him, barking. She slid to a stop when she saw ninja looming over, then bowed in in submission and whimpered. He leaned down and put his hands on Aleu’s shoulders.** _

  
  


“ _ **I entrust you with this power. You’ll know what to do with it when the time comes….Follow the bird when she comes to you…”**_

  
  


_**Then he vanished.** _

  
  


_Luckily her siblings Dingo and Saba, found her._

  
  


“ _Aleu! Oh no! What do we do?!” Dingo asked._

 

“ _We have to take her back to dad.” Saba said as she got Aleu on her back._

 

“ _Mush!” She barked, leading the way back._

 

“ _Dad! Dad!” They called running down the beach._

 

_Balto looked up from playing with Kodi. “What's wrong?”_

 

_The puppies stopped in front of their dad, Aleu still on Saba's back. Kodi's ears folded back and he whimpered._

 

“ _Aleu.” Balto said, worry filling his voice. He ran into the abandoned ship he was living in. “Boris! Boris!”_

 

_The goose woke up in a flurry. “What is it Balto!?_

 

“ _Get Jenna.” Balto said seriously and straight to the point._

 

“ _Balto, why are you so hysterical?” Boris asked, now worried._

 

“ _Aleu is hurt.” Balto said. “Now please, go get Jenna!”_

 

_Quickly Boris went off and Balto went back to his children. They laid Aleu on the ground. Balto put his nose to her chest and was relived she was still breathing._

 

_Boris flew into Nome and looked for Rosie's house. When he found it, he ran too fast and crashed into the window._

 

_At the sound of a goose hitting a window, Jenna awoke from her nap. She walked over and saw a dazed Boris trying to regain his balance._

 

_Jenna exited the house and went to him. “Boris, are you all right? What's wrong?”_

 

“ _Aleu!” He shouted flapping his wings in a frenzy. “It's Aleu! She's hurt!”_

 

_Jenna's eyes widened and with another word she ran towards the beach. Boris ran after the husky. When Jenna made it to the beach she ran over to Aleu. She whined and rubbed her nose against her face._

 

_**The mouse appeared to Aleu again.** _

 

“ _ **You're not done.” He said.**_

 

_Aleu's eyes fluttered open._

 

“ _Aleu!” Everyone yelled in relief. They all ran over and nuzzled her._

 

“ _Hi.” Aleu said weakly._

 

“ _You're all right.” Jenna sniffled and nuzzled her close._

 

“ _Yeah mom.” She nuzzled back. “I'm all right.”_

 

“ _What happened?” Balto demanded._

 

“ _I...I don't know...I tripped and passed out...” Aleu said, still a bit groggy,_

 

“ _Come on.” Balto said gently, helping her up. “You should lay down for a while.  
_

“ _Okay dad.” Aleu followed him into the ship. Balto laid down and his daughter laid beside him. She yawned and fell asleep, snuggled close._

 

_Balto smiled, rested his snout on her back and fell asleep as well._

… _._

 

“Your power.” Muru started, “Is to see visions related to The Ninja.”

 

Aleu looked confused.

 

“Err...The Alphas and Prey.”

 

“Oh. But...That doesn't make sense.” Aleu said. “The first vision I had was of caribou.”

 

“And where did the caribou lead you?” He asked.  
  


“Norrisville.” Aleu said simply.

 

“Exactly! They lead you and your pack here!”

 

“But, why did it give me visions about them?” Aleu asked.

 

“That I cannot answer.” Muru said. “That's only something the chaos pearls know...and it's not like I can communicate with an orb of power. What I do know is that it's a one in a million chance of getting a vision power from them.”

 

“One in a million? Wow..” Aleu said.

 

“You were a lucky one I guess.” Muru chuckled.

 

“Thanks Muru...I think I understand.” Aleu said,still sounding unsure.

 

He vanished. Aleu walked to an edge and peered down to Norrisville.

 

Her eyes flashed and she had a vision of a cat covered in mud.

 

…....

 

Julius was walking through the village when The ninja spotted him.

 

“Julius!” The Ninja yelled as he ran towards him. “You're covered in dirt!

 

“Yeah....I know...” Julius said, looking away.

 

“Come on.” The Ninja sighed. “You need a bath.”

 

They went home and headed to the bathing room. The Ninja filled a tub up with soap and water. He grabbed a towel and scrubbed Julius down. The water turned a murky brown.

 

“The village is holding a public funeral tomorrow.” The Ninja said. “Do you want to come?”

 

“Yeah...sure...” Julius said. They both stayed silent for a while.

 

“Where were you?” The Ninja finally asked.

 

“I was...with Alice.” Julius said as he wrung his tail.

 

“Who's Alice? The Ninja asked.

 

“She's my....best friend.” Julius said, nervous of what he'd think.

“Hm, I see.” They stayed silent again until The Ninja pulled Julius out and dried him off. “There.”

 

He yawned. “I'm exhausted.”

 

Julius yawned. “Me too.”

 

“Want to join me for a nap?” The Ninja asked.

 

Julius yawned again. “Yeah.”

 

The Ninja carried him to his room and snuggled him close. Julius purred and fell asleep  
  


….

 

The next day the whole village gathered in the village center for the funeral service. The whole village was decorated with the ensigma of The Norisu Eight, along with carp banners.

 

 

Aleu stood out of the villager's sight, still wanting to pay her respects. The Ninja, Plop Plop, Julius, The Messenger, Oswald, and Ortensia walked into the center together, but split up afterwards. The Ninja, Plop Plop, and Oswald took their in front of the villagers, while Julius, The Messenger, and Ortensia stood with the villagers.  
  
Alice spotted Julius next to The Messenger and panicked. She hurried over. “Hey Julius!”

 

Julius looked over, smiled and waved. “Hey Alice!”

 

“Can I stand by you?”

 

“Sure!” He smiled. Alice stood by his other side and glared at The Messenger. The Messenger felt her look, looked over, tipped his hat, and smiled.

 

“So you're Julius' master, huh?” Alice asked.

 

The Messenger paused for a moment, but then he realized what was going on. Julius was using a cover for protection, which was a good idea. So, he nodded.

 

“And you're his sister?”

 

“Huh?” Ortensia turned to her. “Oh, yes. I'm his sister, Ortensia.”

 

Alice bit her lip at her sickeningly sweet voice. She had a feeling it was all an act. She looked to Julius who seemed a bit stiff. Alice frowned and patted his back. Julius gave her a small smile.

 

The Ninja stepped forward, his squire Plop Plop by his side, followed by Oswald. Everyone became silent.

The Ninja cleared his throat and began: “Thank you all for being here today to honor not only my brothers, but their squires, who were killed by The Sorcerer. I know it's a sad time, but we need to find the strength to push forward. I promise I will protect this village with my life, and I won't stop until The Sorcerer is dealt with! Please do not live in fear of The Sorcerer, together we will get through this. Thank you to my brothers and their squires who made the ultimate sacrifice to try and stop The Sorcerer.”

 

Everyone clapped and cheered at The Ninja's speech. From a roof out of view of the villagers, The Sorcerer chuckled. He turned to his rat and spoke, “How pathetic! Alone that Ninja won't stand a chance against me! I've already killed his brothers....why doesn't he just back down?”

 

The rat squeaked.

  
“Yes, he is stubborn.” The Sorcerer sighed, annoyed. “But, he won't be so smug when he's looking me in the eyes as I'm about to end his life.”

 

Next to speak was Plop Plop who was obviously very nervous. “I uh...I...I'm as sad as...you are...about the passing...Um...maybe a bit more since I uh...knew them....personally....but uh....it must be sad for you too...since they were your heroes...yeah...”

 

The Ninja noticed how nervous he was and went out to stop the speech, for Plop Plop's sake. Everyone clapped and cheered like they did for Ninja's speech, but Plop Plop knew this was from pity than actually liking it.

 

Atop the roof The Sorcerer and his rat laughed. “Even his squire is pathetic!”

 

Oswald was next. He stepped forward, cleared his throat and started, “Yesterday was a sad day and it's going to be hard to get over.” He sighed. “Things were starting to look good, and then...The Sorcerer...I'm going to miss them.”

 

Everyone clapped at his short and simple speech. There was another moment of silence, besides all the crying and sniffling going on.

 

After a moment The Ninja stepped forward again. “Would anyone else like to make a speech?”

 

Alice raised her hand, “I would!”

 

The First Ninja stepped aside so she could come up and make a speech. She turned to her side. “Julius?”

 

“Hm?”

 

“I'm kind of nervous...Will you come with me?”

 

“Of course I will.” Julius smiled. They walked onto stage together, Julius tried to hide any nervousness he felt. The truth was Alice wasn't scared, she just didn't want Julius near The Messenger.

 

Alice started her speech, “The Ninjas were great,noble heroes, who I will miss dearly. I remember one time I was turned into a monster by The Sorcerer, and they saved me. I'll always be grateful for that. I hope they rest in peace.”

 

“I-I guess I should give a speech since I'm up here, huh?” Julius asked, a bit nervous. Everyone in the crowd cheered him on to say a speech. Julius looked at The Ninja for support. He gave him a thumbs up. Julius smiled lightly and began, “Well, I've never gotten to formerly meet a ninja before. Heck, right now is probably as close as I've ever been to one.”

 

He pointed to The Ninja who nodded.

 

“But they were great heroes....From what I could tell.....And I'm glad we still have a ninja to look over us.” He turned to The Ninja, “Thank you.”

 

The Ninja nodded again.

 

The people clapped and cheered as he and Alice got off the stage. The Messenger came up next. Alice who had never heard him talk about before was curious what he sounded like.

 

“The Ninjas were noble warriors. They have been our protectors for years, and now seven of them have passed on. The Red Ninja is now our sole protector,whom I know will be the one to defeat The Sorcerer. I’ve seen him in battle and he nothing less than amazing. He is nimble on his feet, very sneaky, and as agile as a bird. He was the true embodiment of a ninja.”

  
  


Everyone could tell The Ninja was smiling under his mask, breaking his hardened exterior in this one moment. However, Julius, The Messenger, Plop Plop, Oswald, and Ortensia had seen him happy before, it wasn’t as rare as most people thought.

The Messenger and shook his hand. “Thank you Ninja.

  
  


It was weird, acting like someone you knew since you were five years old was a stranger to you. The Messenger managed to do this very well though.

  
  


The Ninja shook back. “You're welcome village messenger.”

  
  


He went back to the crowd and Ortensia went up next. “Oh my, it's been an awful day hasn't it? That mean old Sorcerer has no right take away someone's life, let alone fourteen of them! I'm sure you'll stop that big old meanie, right Ninja?”  
  
  


“Right, Ortensia”

  
  


She panicked. “H-how do you k-know my name?”

  
  


“I know everyone's name.” He pointed out. “It's part of my duty as a ninja.”

  
  


Plop Plop laughed. “Haha. Duty.”

  
  


The Ninja shot him a silencing glare. He turned back to Ortensia, “Besides you're The Messenger's daughter, your name is pretty common knowledge.”

  
  


“Oh right.” Ortensia said, smiling. “Thank you Ninja.”

  
  


She curtsied and The Ninja nodded.

  
  


“How can they not tell those three imbeciles know The Ninja!? It's painfully obvious!” The Sorcerer sneered. “It's sickening!”

  
  


The rat squeaked in agreement.

  
  


Next was the man Julius had often seen in the shelter.

  
  


“Man this is some downing news! Them Ninjas are in the big uh...Ninja house in the sky! Man it's tragic! Ooo, well I'm gonna miss them, they was good fighters! You too Redie!”

  
  


He put his arm around The Ninja like they were old pals. The Ninja winced in discomfort. From the crowd Julius was wincing too. He wished he could go up there and pry his arm off, but he knew how it would look: It would look like a stranger pulling a stranger's arm off of another stranger's shoulder. Or it would just blow his cover.

  
  


The man kept talking right into the Ninja's face, “You're a good ninja! You're gonna get that evil wrinkly, ain't ya?”

  
  


“Um...yes...I am...” The Ninja said, awkwardly as he pulled away. No one clapped at this speech.

  
  


That was all for speeches and everyone shuffled off, still mourning their loss.

  
  


“Hey Julius, want to come with me?” Alice asked, looking at The Messenger out of the corner of her eye.

  
  


“Um..” Julius looked at The Ninja then back to Alice. “Sorry...Now's not a good time.”

  
  


“You sure?” Alice pouted, worried for his safety.

  
  


“I'm sure, but we'll see each other tomorrow all right?”

  
  


“Promise?”

  
  


“Promise.” Julius said with a last time.

  
  


“You broke your promise last time.”

  
  


Julius frowned. “And I'm sorry for that...Please trust me...  
  
  


“I'll give you a chance to get it back. See you tomorrow.”

  
  


“Bye, Alice!”

  
  


When the last of The Ninja's group gathered together, The Ninja spoke, “We'll be having our own services for them this evening, so everyone be prepared.”

  
  


The time was given and everyone headed off until evening.

  
  


…...

As much as Aleu wanted to give a speech, she knew she couldn't. If she did the villagers wouldn't have positive reactions. They'd no doubt try to kill her. She felt she needed to honor the fallen Ninjas and walked around to find a secluded place to mourn them herself, or with Muru if he chose to join. She wasn't sure yet if she wanted to tell her pack about what her power was truly for.

  
  


She came across an odd mountain formation. It was a bunch of rocks stacked together with branches sticking out. Aleu thought it was odd and went to examine it. She sniffed it and caught the scent of other dogs, but she didn't see any.

  
  


Suddenly she tackled down by a pure white dog with several scars on his body. He bit Aleu, who headbutted his chest,pushing him back. The two faced each other, growling deeply.

  
“Who are you?” The dog growled.

  
  


“Aleu.” She growled. “Who are you?”

  
  


Instead of replying he lunged and bit her neck. Aleu bit back as hard as she could, but this dog was hard to take down. He didn't loosen his grip as he pushed her to the ground. Aleu struggled and flailed her paws pack and fourth. One of the paws made contact with his face and the claws scratched down, not hard enough to add a new scar however. The dog let go and bit Aleu's leg.

  
  


“Let go of me!” She growled.

  
  


The dog's snarl deepened and he bit even harder.

  
  


“Kyoshiro!” Aleu heard someone yell. They both looked about to see a young blue Akita Inu, followed by an English Setter.

  
  


The dog, Kyoshiro, backed off Aleu giving her a chance to get up. She was about to attack again when the Akita jumped between them.

  
  


“Weed...” Kyoshiro said submissively.

  
  


“Kyoshiro, you can't attack without reason!” Weed scolded. He looked at the wolf dog and his tone became gentle. “What's your name?”

  
  


“Aleu.”

  
  


“A-Aleu?” Weed repeated in disbelief.

  
  


“Yeah...Do you know about me or something?” She was confused.

  
  


“You lead the wolf pack in Norrisville don't you?”

  
  


“Yes...How did you know?”

  
  


“Because your power makes you unique. Even Bat’s Mind’s Eye pales in comparison to it.”

  
  


Aleu only nodded politely, since she had no idea who Bat was or what Mind’s Eye was.

  
  


“Aren’t you going to ask why she’s trespassing?” Kyoshiro asked aggressively

  
  


“You shouldn’t talk to your leader like that!” The English Setter argued.

  
  


_Leader? Isn’t he kind of young to be a leader?_ Aleu thought, but didn’t say.

  
  


“And you shouldn’t talk to me like that!” Kyoshiro snarled, causing the English Setter to back up.

  
  


“GB! Kyoshiro!” Weed said. “I can handle this.”

  
  


He stepped towards her. “Why are you here?”

  
  


“I was looking for somewhere to mourn.” Aleu admitted. “I thought this place was empty, but then I caught scent of other dogs.”

  
  


“ ‘Other dogs?’ Aren’t you a wolf?” Kyoshiro asked.

  
  


“Part wolf.” Aleu clarified. “My father was a wolf dog and my mother was a purebred husky.”

  
  


“Who are you mourning?” Weed asked.

  
  


“Seven of the Norrisville Alphas and their Betas died.” Aleu said sadly.

  
  


Weed looked confused. “Alphas? Betas?”

  
  


Aleu thought for a moment. _What did Muru call them again?_ “Ninjas...and..uh...their...helpers?”

  
  


Weed folded his ears sadly. “That’s awful...I-I’m so sorry for your loss.”

  
  


“Actually, I didn’t know them personally.” Aleu said. “But, my visions, they’re all connected to the alp-..Ninjas.”

  
  


Weed paused and thought for a moment. “Can you help us with something?”

  
  


Aleu was caught off guard. “W-with what?”

  
  


Kyroshiro and GB seemed hesitant about Weed’s question.

  
  


“Come with me.” He said, nodding to the rock pile. The four of them entered. Aleu felt intimidated with all the dog’s staring at her with, wide, curious, eyes.

  
  


“Akame! Tesshin!” Weed called. A pure white dog who looked like Kyoshiro, but without the scars stepped forward. He was a followed by a dog with dark gray fur with even darker spots on his fur. The lower part of his face and his his chest were white, as were in the inside of his ears. The fur on his head, also white, as fluffed up like a mini Mohawk.

  
  


“Tell Aleu about The Sorcerer.” Weed ordered, yet in a kind and not commanding tone.

  
  


Akame started, “Yes. The  newest threat to paradise.”

  
  


_Tesshin and Akame were sent on hunting duty to gather food for the dogs of Ohu. Being both Ninja dogs, they worked incredibly well together, and were often paired together by Weed._

  
  


“ _See anything?” Akame asked from a tree._

  
  


_Tesshin sniffled the ground again, hoping to catch the scent of a rabbit, or even a snake. He looked up at Akame. “Nothing yet.”_

  
  


_Akame leaped to another tree and looked out to the horizon for any prey. Tesshin stayed on the ground, sniffing. He caught a whiff of something awful and started gagging. Worried, Akame leaped down and ran to him._

 

“ _Are you all right?” Akame asked. He sniffed the air and gagged too. “Ugh! That Scent! What is that awful scent? A rotting corpse?”_

 

_Despite not wanting to, but needing to confirm, Tesshin sniffed again. He gagged and managed to choke out, “No not a corpse....it smells worse than that!”_

 

_The two ninja dogs looked for the source of the smell. Then they came across The Sorcerer and their eyes widened in fear._   
  
  


“ _Get out of my way you mutts!” The Sorcerer yelled._

  
  


_At the insult they both crouched and growled at The Sorcerer._

  
  


“ _Fine, if you won't move.” He gathered stank in his hands, but they still didn't move. He shot it at them and they leaped out of the way. Tesshin and Akame looked to each other to make sure they were all right, fortunately they both were._

  
  


_The Sorcerer scowled and shot again. “You two aren't getting away!”_

  
  


_They needed to decide what to do as they ran. Tesshin spoke first, “Should we attack?”_

  
  


_Akame nodded. “It might be the only way to get rid of him.”_

  
  


_They both turned on a dime and ran towards The Sorcerer, and lunged. They both sunk their teeth into his arm as if taking down a bear. Akame had deja vu of fighting Akakabuto, and bit as hard as he did that day, pretending he was protecting Ohu from the bear._

  
  


_The Sorcerer yelped in pain and swung his arms to get them off.  The two dogs landed on their feet and looked to each other._

  
  


“ _We have to keep him away from the Paradise.” Akame said._

  
  


“ _Paradise?” The Sorcerer spat. “I doubt your ‘paradise’ isn’t even close to what one is! Since you two have decided to become my enemies, perhaps after I conquer Norrisville, I’ll take your ‘paradise’ next!”_

  
  


_Those words only intensified how hard they fought. The former leader Gin had built this paradise for all of them. They’d almost lost it  before with P4’s killing of humans, and Hougen’s attempt to take over. However, Gin’s son Weed had helped them keep their paradise, and even rescued his father from Hougen’s grasp. The two of them channeled Weed as they fought The Sorcerer, not wanting another Hougen on their paws._

  
  


_The Sorcerer truly was like Hougen. He wanted to rule everything, and wasn’t going to let two mutts stand in his way. As he gathered more stank in his hands, the dogs readied themselves._

  
  


_Eight figured jumped out and circled around them. Akame and Tesshin got ready in case they were working with him. The Sorcerer snarled, “Ninjas!”_

  
  


“ _So you’ve gotten to the point where you’re low enough to hurt animals,huh Sorcerer?” The White Ninja asked._

  
  


“ _They attacked first!” The Sorcerer yelled, preparing an attack. As he was about to shoot, Tesshin leaped up and bit his arm. He yelled and threw him off. Tesshin hit the ground, causing the ninjas to wince, but to their surprise he jumped back to his paws right away and let out a low growl._

  
  


_While he was distracted by Tesshin’s growling, The Red Ninja kicked the back of The Sorcerer’s head, causing him to stumble forward. Before he fell Akame bit his leg. He tried to kick him off but his grip was too tight._

  
  


_The Blue Ninja tried to slice his leg with his sword, but got kicked out of the way.  Akame rushed over and helped him up._

  
  


“ _T-thanks.” He said as he steadied himself. The Sorcerer was about to attack him again, but Akame push him out of the way to safety._

  
  


“ _Tesshin!” Akame called, dodging hits. “Get the leader!”_

  
  


_Tesshin nodded once and ran off._

  
  


… _._

  
  


_Weed was spending time with the puppies in his pack. Running and play fighting was their training to become Ohu soldiers in the future._

  
  


_Teru giggled as Weed chased him in the bright yellow flowers._

  
  


“ _You can’t catch an Ohu solider!” Teru laughed. Weed smirked and tagged him. Teru laughed more and rolled onto his back._

  
  


“ _Weed!”_

  
  


_Weed looked up to see Tesshin. “Weed. we need help!”_

  
  


“ _Tesshin! What is it?” Weed asked, becoming serious._

  
  


“ _There’s trouble! Akame and I were hunting and he came across this monster….We need help!”_

  
  


_Weed turned to the soldiers who were nearby. “Rocket,GB,Mel,Ken! Come on!”_

  
  


_They started to leave when Teru jumped into front of him. “Leader, can I come with, please?”_

  
  


“ _Teru…” Weed sighed. “You already know it’s too dangerous for you.”_

  
  


“ _But what kind of soldier can’t fight!” Teru whined._

  
  


“ _You’re still young, I’m not going to risk you getting hurt or killed.” Weed explained. “When you’re a bit older you’ll be able to join us, all right?”_

  
  


_Teru knew he couldn’t argue more and nodded in defeat and understanding. The group of dogs ran off. As Teru watched he felt worthless._

  
  


_**The leader thinks I’m too weak….Maybe I can show him…..Yeah! I can show the leader I’m a true dog!** _

  
  


_Teru started running after them._

  
  


_Weed,Tesshin,Rocket,GB,Mel, and Ken came across The Sorcerer who was trying to get Akame off his leg._

  
  


_Weed stood there in fear for a moment as he watched this beast shoot stank at the ninjas and Akame._

  
  


_Wait….Ninjas?_

  
  


_He turned to GB and Mel, “You two, get the humans out of here before they get hurt!”_

  
  


_They nodded once and circled The Red Ninja. He looked confused. The Sorcerer knew this was a perfect time to attack and did just that. The Red Ninja pushed the two dogs out of the way and ducked._

  
  


_Weed jumped between The Sorcerer, and GB and Mel. “Why are you doing this!?”_

“ _Two of these mutts attacked me!”_

  
  


“ _W-what?”_

  
  


“ _After you attacked first!” Akame growled._

  
  


_Weed didn’t know what to do, and looked between Akame and Tesshin, and The Sorcerer._

  
  


“ _Get out of the way!” The Sorcerer snarled, striking him and causing him to stumble back. When he started choking Rocket, something in Weed snapped._

  
  


_He jumped into the air and yelled, “Zetsu Tenrou Battouga!”_

  
  


“ _Leader, I’m here!”_

  
  


“ _T-teru?” Weed got distracted and hit a tree instead of The Sorcerer. He groaned as he staggered up._

  
  


“ _Leader!” Teru ran to him, and was almost attacked by The Sorcerer. However Ken thought fast and grabbed him._

  
  


“ _Let me go!” Teru whined kicking his legs back and forth._

  
  


“ _T-take him back…” Weed said weakly._

  
  


“ _But, I wanna fight!” Teru argued._

  
  


“ _N-no…” Weed managed to say as he staggered up. The Sorcerer was about to attack Weed again, but The Red Ninja jumped in front of him and kick The Sorcerer in the chest. Weed looked up and watched his saver fight:_

 

_He struck him in the jaw and got out his sword. He sliced at The Sorcerer who managed to dodge every swing, and pushed him back. Another ninja, the green one, tried to get him with his sai. He broke the skin a bit before The Sorcerer pushed him back too. Mel and Ken each bit and leg causing him to stumble, but he could kick them off easily._

 

_GB and Rocket hurried over and helped Weed up._

 

“ _T-thanks..” He wheezed out._

 

“ _Remember this...” The Sorcerer eventually panted out. “I'll get your little 'paradise' after I overtake Norrisville, you mutts!”_

 

_He created a smoke cloud and manged to escape. The Ninjas circled around the injured dog._

 

“ _T-thank you.” Weed said._

 

“ _You're welcome.” The Ninja said, helping him up._

 

_The Ninjas went off, and the dogs helped Weed home._

 

“ _I-I'm s-sorry, leader..” Teru whimpered._

 

_Weed sighed. “'Teru, I'm mad, but...I'm glad you're safe.”_

 

_The other dogs shot him glares all the way back. Once they got back they laid Weed inside. “Rocket....”_

 

“ _Yes, Weed?”_

 

“ _Tell the soldiers to prepare themselves....We might have to protect our paradise again...”_

 

… _......._

 

“Oh!” Aleu said in realization. “I-I think I had a vision of that before, but...I didn't understand it.”

 

“Your visions of him are why we're asking for your help.” Weed explained. “If you ever see him in your visions....Will you tell us?”

 

“Oh! Of course!” Aleu said with a small smile.

 

“Also if..if we end up fighting him...can your pack help us?” Weed asked, sounding a little hesitant.

 

“Oh.” Aleu thought for a moment. “Yes. If you need me, I'll be here to help.”

 

“They were true dogs...so to speak.” Weed said. “Did they get the proper burial?”

  
“Yeah, I had a vision of that too.” She shuddered.

 

Still, Weed called his pack outside. “Everyone. In honor of the brave ninjas, we will dig a burial for them.”

 

Aleu watched as all the dogs started digging, making burials. She joined in and felt a jolt of pride rush through her,feeling like she was honoring them. When they were done they lifted their heads and howled, some of them crying.

 

“Thank you, Weed.” Aleu said.

 

“And thank you.” Weed said with a smile.

 

Aleu found herself smiling as she walked to the ledge that overlooked Norrisville. _The Sorcerer is terrible! Even if I can't directly fight him, I have to do what I can to stop him._

 

Her eyes flashed yellow and she gasped. _Oh my gosh, I almost forget about the funeral!_

 

Aleu ran, hoping she hadn't missed anything.

 

….....

 

The Sorcerer was recounting the funeral to The Sorceress through the Chaos Pearl. “The Ninja's speech was a mushy mess, with all this 'Standing united' messages. That fool thinks he can take me down as well! Ha! We'll see about that, won't we my dear Sorceress?”

 

….......

 

“Yes of course we will!” She laughed. “Once we take over, we'll prove his speech wrong!”

 

The Peddler was frowning, saddened by the news of the ninjas' passing. The Sorcerer and The Sorceress's giddiness about the whole thing only made it worse. Inside of his head, Sadness was only in control, pushing Joy aside for a while.

 

“ _ **Of course,Sorceress, of course. His squire's speech wasn't much better. He was stuttering the whole time! His rabbit, oh dear heavens his rabbit! That rabbit, basically said 'Yes, it was a sad day and this is The Sorcerer's fault'!”**_

 

“Probably all his simple mind could muster.”

 

“ _ **Then some little girl gave a speech that was, well, bearable. All she really said is she's glad The Ninjas saved her one time. His cat's speech was awkward, I have no idea how no one noticed they knew each other! That Messenger did a much better job hiding it, regardless of how cliched his speech was. His cat just used to sweetest voice and said, 'You'll catch that big old meanie The Sorcerer, won't you?' Then some man came up and gave some speech that...I don't know how to describe, but he was getting touchy feely with The Ninja.”**_

 

“Sounds like an interesting funeral.” The Sorceress said. “I wonder what they'll do at The Ninja's funeral.”

 

“ _ **They won't have time to mourn him, because we'll be in charge!”**_

 

“Right!” The Sorceress cackled.

 

“ _ **I must come up with another plan. I will see you soon, my dear.”**_

 

“Yes soon.” The Sorceress said, stroking the orb gently, before letting the necklace fall limp around her neck. When she looked up, The Peddler was giving her a sad, yet somehow warm smile. “What's with your face?”

 

“I’m sad the ninjas have passed, but….This is the first time I’d ever really seen you happy.” The Peddler explained.

  
  


This was true. Joy had somehow convinced Anger and Disgust to let her take the lead for a while. Unfortunately for Sadness and Fear, they were still hiding away in the dark corner, waiting for their chance again. Even though they figured it wouldn’t be for a long time, they were still happy Joy could spread her emotion again.

  
  


“And why does this concern you?” She nearly spat.

  
The Peddler's smile faltered a bit. “Well....sometimes happiness is all you have, especially here. I can't do much here.” He frowned at the shackles on his wrists.

  
  


“But if I'm happy is distracts me.” He said. “You know, before you I only had Blurryface to talk to.”

  
  


“So I'm your new distraction?” The Sorceress asked.

  
  


“Well....no...you're more of a...” He trailed off unsure how to finish.”

  
  


“I'm more of a what?” The Sorceress demanded.

  
  


“A...companion.” The Peddler finished awkwardly. “Someone to talk to.”

  
  


“Oh, I'm sure you have _thrilling_ conversations.” The Sorceress remarked sarcastically while idly playing with some of her stank.

  
  


“I have some thrilling tales of my life!” The Peddler said.

“What could be more thrilling than becoming The Sorcerer?”

  
  


The Peddler looked uncomfortable and avoided eye contact. “I-I have h-ha-happier tales....”

  
  


“That story is the epitome of happiness.”

  
  


“I....I could tell you of the time I gave a little girl a peach. You should have seen how bright her smile was! She was a little angel!”

  
  


“A girl bought a peach? That's your story?”

  
  


“No.” The Peddler said, shaking his head with a warm smile. “I gave it to her.”

  
  


“Why?”

  
  


“She was hungry.” The Peddler said simply.

  
  


“Still, she could have paid you.”

  
  


“She didn't have any money.” The Peddler explained.

  
  


“You're too sweet for your own good.” The Sorceress sighed, rolling her eyes.

  
  


“Sweet like a peach?”

  
  


“ _Great_ I'm stuck with a _comedian._ ”

  
  


….........

  
  


The sun was starting to set and the sky shined a deep orange. Everyone was heading in for the night, but in the small garden behind The Ninja's house, The Ninja, Plop Plop, Julius,Oswald, Ortensia, and The Messenger gathered. The Ninja stood in the front while the others sat in front of him. He glanced up and saw the wolf dog standing there, looking solemn. The Ninja knew she was mourning too and let her stay. For some reason it felt like she belonged there...with them...

  
  


He turned to his friends. “I felt we needed our own funeral to properly mourn and get closure. In public...we can't truly be ourselves. Out there they can't know we all know each other, that we're all...friends. We'll be able to honor them personally. First we will start with a brother who actually changed something big in my life, for the better. Because of him, I have my squire, Plop Plop.”

  
  


He motioned for Plop Plop to join him. “We were two when it happened, so Plop Plop and I will piece together the story the best we can.”

  
  


_The eight future ninjas were gathered outside their home, their father in front of them._

  
  


“ _Today, my children, you will get our own squires.” Their father said to his six sons and daughter. The Blue Ninja was born a girl, and didn't realize until she was older she identified as male. “As future protectors, you'll need someone to assist you.”_

  
  


_He stepped aside showing eight two year olds, ready to get to know their future masters. They each stepped to the future ninja that corresponded with their robe colors._

  
  


_The Green Ninja's squire was holding a stack of papers close to his chest as he approached his ninja. “H-hi! Do you want to see my drawings?”  
_   
  


_He showed him a piece of paper full of scribbles. The Green Ninja didn't know how to respond. “Um...okay...”_

  
  


“ _I'm going to draw you!” He said excitedly. He put the paper on the ground and started his portrait. He drew a squiggly lined picture of him that he was proud of. “For you!”_

  
  


_The Green Ninja looked at it and said “Thanks.”, dryly. He set the picture down on the windowsill, which his squire assumed he'd bring inside later. It wouldn't be until a few days later when he saw the rain damaged picture that he understood his true intention._

  
  


_The Purple Ninja's squire was giggling when she approached him. “Wanna hear a joke?”_

  
  


“ _Sure!” The Purple Ninja replied._

  
  


“ _Was was the tree happy?”  
_  
  


“ _Why?”_

  
  


“ _Because they're made of bark, and dogs bark, and dogs are always happy!” She giggled._

 

“ _You're weird.”  
_

_She giggled. “Thank you.”_

 

 

_The Yellow Ninja's original squire stepped forward next. “Hi”_

“ _Hi!” His ninja replied._

 

“ _I'm happy to meet you!” He said._

 

_The Yellow Ninja smiled. “Me too!”_

 

_The Orange Ninja's Squire giggled when she saw hers. “You're cute!”_

 

_The Ninja blushed a bit. “Thank you. You too!”_

 

“ _Hi!” The Gray Ninja's squire said._

 

_The Gray Ninja seemed anxious and avoided eye contact when he replied, “H-hi...”_

 

_His squire walked over to face him. “Are you okay?”_

 

_He let out a nervous whimpered and hugged his dad's legs. He picked her up and comforted him. “Shh, it's okay, it's okay.” He patted his back gently._

 

_The White Ninja's squire was excited to meet his ninja. “Hello!”_

 

_The White Ninja narrowed his eyes and furrowed his brows. “You're annoying.”_

 

_The squire frowned. “O-oh..”_

 

_He balled his tiny fists and slugged him in the arm. His squire whined and held his arm. His father saw, and shifted The Gray Ninja to one arm, and with his free arm pulled The White Ninja back. “That's enough!”_

 

_The White Ninja started yelling and hitting his dad's arm. His father wasn't phased and started pulling him away. His squire kept rubbing his arm._

 

_Finally Plop Plop approached The Blue Ninja, and The (Eventually to be) Blue Ninja's squire approached The Red Ninja._

 

_The Blue Ninja's squire gave a small wave and smile, which The Ninja happily returned._

 

“ _I'm hungry.” Plop Plop complained._

 

“ _Uh..Dad?” The Blue Ninja asked. He looked over._

 

“ _I'm hungry!” Plop Plop cried again._

_His hands were kind of full so he knew he couldn't take him inside. “Um, sweetheart? Can you show him where the kitchen is?”_

 

“ _Why?” The Blue Ninja asked._

 

“ _He's your squire.” He pointed out._

 

“ _I don't wanna!” She pouted. The father bit his lip. He'd comfort her if he wasn't preoccupied._

 

“ _I'll show him.” The Red Ninja said._

 

“ _Thank you, my son, that is very kind of you. I just wish your siblings were like you.” He said, looking at the three trouble makers in front of him._

 

_Plop Plop grabbed The Red Ninja's hand, surprising him. “Come on, I'm hungry!”_

 

_The future ninja sighed and rolled his eyes, heading inside with his sister's squire. Plop Plop went from being annoyed to wonder when he saw The Ninjas' house. He'd never seen a house so big and fancy before._

 

_They headed to the kitchen and The Red Ninja was about to get him an apple. Except, Plop Plop found the deserts and started eating them. The young future ninja's stomach growled. He looked back from the apple and desserts, and decided to stick with the apple._

 

“ _Why are you eating fruit?” Plop Plop asked, mouth full of cake._

 

“ _Daddy says it's good for me.” He replied, taking another bite._

 

“ _You're weird.” Plop Plop said, more as a joke than anything. He looked at his hands covered in cake and smirked. He rubbed them against the front of Red Ninja's robe._

 

_The Red Ninja froze and looked down at his stained robe. Plop Plop laughed._

 

“ _That was mean..” The ninja said, frowning. He dampened a towel and tried to wash it off._

 

“ _Well you're still weird.”_

 

_He did reply and kept washing._

 

“ _I'll race you back outside!” Plop Plop, running off before he could reply. The Ninja hurried after, and despite starting later, won._

“ _Wow you're good.”_

 

“ _As a future protector, he's been training since the day he was born.” The Ninjas' father explained._

 

“ _He could walk as baby?”_

 

_The father chuckled. “No we start out simple, like: Telling bed time stories of my past adventures,take them around the village, and simple things. In fact right now it's still very simple training. It might be their future duty to protect Norrisville, but they're still children.:_

 

_Plop Plop laughed. “Haha, duty..”_

 

“ _And as my daughter's squire, you have a big d-...responsibility as well.” He said, kneeling down and putting a hand on his shoulder. “You need to be there for her and help her when she needs it.”_

 

“ _That sounds hard!” Plop Plop whined._

 

“ _Things won't get harder until later on...but by then it'll be easy. Okay?”_

 

“ _What?”_

 

_Their father let out a small laugh. “You'll understand someday, just don't worry right now.”_

 

_Plop Plop looked at to The Red Ninja who was standing there awkwardly with his squire. Luckily no one was pointing out the stain on his robe. When they made eye contact Plop Plop made a silly face and laughed. The Red Ninja gave a weak smile and looked back to his own squire._

 

“ _All right, it's time to work on relaxation.” Their father said. His children got into a line, while the squires all sat together. “All of you.”_

 

_The squires stood next to their ninja's line. Plop Plop was in between his ninja and The Red Ninja. Their father taught them breathing exercises as well as simple stretches. “You'll be in stressful situations from time to time, so it's good to know how to relax yourself. If you're stressed, you won't be able to properly protect the village. As for the squires, you won't be able to properly serve your ninja.”_

 

_One of the stretches involved standing on one leg. The Red Ninja, having not yet found his sense of balance, fell. Plop Plop was worried and put out his hand to help, causing everyone to stare. Ignoring the stares, the young future ninja grabbed his hand and got up._

 

“ _Thank you...”_

 

“ _You need to stop being so clumsy.” Plop Plop laughed, brushing the dirt off of his robe._

“ _While I admire your kindness, you are my daughter's squire.” The father explained. “You work for her only.”_

 

_The Blue Ninja grabbed his arm and pulled him to her. The Red Ninja's rightful squire was awkwardly trying to get the rest of the dust off his robe._

 

_That night the squires went into their quarters, with sleep mats on the ground._

 

“ _If any of your have trouble sleeping, come get me, all right?” The father said before going off to his own room._

 

_The squires each found a mat to sleep on. The Purple Ninja's squire laid on a mat next to The Gray Ninja's squire, who was next to The White Ninja's squire, who was next to The White Ninja's squire. Plop Plop's mat was next to The Green Ninja's squire._

 

_Plop Plop laid away for a few hours, unable to fall asleep. The mat was comfortable enough, but the surroundings were so new, and he was scared. Outside, owls were hooting and stay dogs were looking for scraps. Remembering what their father said, he got up and headed to his room._

 

_The floors creaked as he walked, waking up The Red Ninja. Curiously he went to look what was causing the noise. When he saw Plop Plop they both made eye contact and froze._

 

“ _What?” Plop Plop asked after a moment._

 

“ _Why aren't you asleep?” The Red Ninja asked._

 

“ _Well I uh..I um..I..I'm..I'm scared.” He said, slightly embarrassed._

 

“ _Wanna sleep in here?” The Red Ninja asked._

 

“ _....Okay...” Plop Plop entered the room and looked at the bed he had. He was jealous he was stuck with a mat while the future protectors got beds. The Red Ninja got into and scooted over so there would be room for him. Once he was in, Plop Plop relaxed into the comfortable bed._

 

_Outside the noises continued. Dogs started fighting for the scraps, and were growling and yipping. Plop Plop pulled the covers closer, trying to fight his fears. After hearing the dying yelp of one, without thinking, he latched onto The Red Ninja, who woke up and looked at him. He was going to ask what was wrong, but he noticed Plop Plop was asleep and didn't want to bother him. Instead he relaxed into the hug and fell asleep too._

 

… _...._

_When they woke up, the ninjas' father, The Blue Ninja, and The Red Ninja's squire were looking at them._

 

“ _Good morning.” The Red Ninja said. He was trying to sit up, but Plop Plop was weighing him down._

 

_The dad knelt down and shook Plop Plop awake. He yawned and rubbed his eyes with the back off his hands. He looked worried when he saw the father._

 

“ _Hey, what are you doing in here?” The father asked gently._

 

“ _I-I got scared. I-I was going to get you, but...h-he woke up and said I can sleep with h-him.”_

 

_The father smiled. “While I approve of your compassion, son, this isn't your squire.”_

 

“ _I know.” The Red Ninja said. “He's my friend.”_

 

_The father, Plop Plop, The Blue Ninja, and The Red Ninja's squire stood there in a stunned silence._

 

“ _Your friend...your friend...” The father seemed to be thinking._ “ _You could try being friends with your squire, couldn’t you?”_

  
  


_The Red Ninja looked at Plop Plop who was still hugging him. Then he looked back at his dad._

  
  


“ _...Well...you did only get your squires, yesterday...Perhaps an exchange can be arranged.” He cleared his throat. “From now on you serve my son, and you serve my daughter.”_

  
  


“ _But, dad!” The Blue Ninja argued. “He’s my squire!”_

  
  


_He shook his head. “From now on this is your squire.”_

  
  


_She glared at her squire who glared back. “Stupid squires!”_

  
  


“ _Big meanie!” The squire said back._

  
  


“ _Now you two, don’t fight.” The father said. The two toddlers faced their backs to each other, refusing to speak another word._

  
  


_The father assumed they’d get over it...Boy, was he wrong. They didn’t talk at all that day, or the next day, or the next, or when The Blue Ninja’s transition,or their first day patrolling,or when he was on his deathbed._

  
  


_Who would have known it would take a Deaf little boy and a fed-up rabbit to bring them on speaking terms?_

  
  


…….

  
  


Plop Plop sat back down with the others. Ortensia was crying at the story. Oswald's ears folded down and her patted her back in comfort, starting to tear up himself. The Messenger frowned and tipped his hat down. Julius wrung his tail and cried.

  
  


Aleu was saddened by the story as well. She couldn’t imagine such a long grudge ever existing. Aleu felt the sorrow swell inside her and she howled.

  
  


Everyone looked up in surprise. The wolf dog felt embarrassed and took a step back. However The Ninja gave her a reassuring look and she stepped forward again.

  
  


The Ninja felt sad as well, tears were trickling out of his eyes. It was hard for him to move on, but he had to.

  
  


The next tribute took a while to set up. The Ninja was setting out various pieces of art, some simple sketches, some done all out, some finished, but most unfinished. In the center was the portrait of The Green Ninja, scuffed a bit from being hid under a sleeping mat.

  
  


Everyone realized he’d been in the Squire’s Quarters, and it made their stomachs churn. None of them could imagine going back in there, not even Plop Plop who had gone in there earlier.

  
  


“The squire was quite the artist.” The Ninja said, examining the portrait of his brother. “He capture his likeness perfectly.”

  
  


Aleu’s knowledge of The Green Ninja’s face was from the visions she’d had, which wasn’t a lot. 99.9% of her visions were about The Red Ninja, Julius or The Sorcerer. Those other .01% were rare, but they mostly had to deal with the other ninjas badmouthing Plop Plop and The Red Ninja, so Aleu was grateful not to hear their hate much. From what she could remember, it did look like him.

  
One of the paintings was a lone green pear hanging off a branch, ready to be picked. He painted it with a mix of yellow and green specs.

  
  


Another was of four alien creatures with gray rectangles and their stomachs. They hall had circular faces with small dark eyes. The tallest was purple with a triangular antenna. The second tallest was light green with a straight antenna. The third tallest was yellow with a curled antenna. Lastly was the shortest was red with a circular antenna. They were standing on grassy hills populated with rabbits. In the sky the sun had a smiling baby face.

  
  


  
  


The next picture was a surprise to everyone: It was Julius. He was chasing a butterfly on all fours, front paws extended outwards. His eyes were shining and his mouth was open wide. Julius' whiskers were swaying back as he ran, as was his tail.

 

The next picture was also a surprise: It was Aleu. She was standing on the edge she usually stood, howling to the bright stars and moon.

 

The next picture was a memorial to The Yellow Ninja's original squire, painted in all gray. It made everyone remember to mourn him too. Of those .01% visions, Aleu had seen him die.

 

Aleu howled again, becoming the official transition from tribute to tribute.

 

The Ninja felt nervous about his next words. He didn't want him to think he was insensitive. “What do you get when you mix a cat and a plan?”  
  


Everyone stayed silent. They didn't know how to react to the sudden joke.

 

“Um...What?” Oswald eventually answered.

 

“A Pussy Willow.” The Ninja let out a dry chuckle. Everyone else let out nervous chuckles as well.

 

“You can probably guess who's next.” The Ninja said, still a bit tense. “We lost such a comedic mind, and I figured the best way to honor them both is through humor. I think they'd want us to laugh.”

 

Everyone in the crowd nodded in agreement, but Aleu was dumbfounded. Jokes at a funeral? It was unheard of! Funerals were for mourning, not fun and games! She felt uneasy as he continued.

 

“What do you call a girl with a frog on her head?”

 

“What?” Ortensia answered this time.

 

“Lilly.”

 

Everyone started laughing a bit more this time. Aleu managed a small chuckle, still not sure how she felt about this.

 

“What do you get when you cross a lemon and a cat?” The Ninja asked.

 

“What?” Julius asked.

“A sourpuss.” The First Ninja said.

 

They got braver and laughed a little bit louder. Even Aleu managed to.

 

“Now one more.” The Ninja said. “What do you call a sad bird?”

“What?” The Messenger answered.

  
  


“A blue bird!”

  
  


This time everyone, including Aleu, roared with laughter. Aleu's laughs interfered with her howls.

  
  


“The next more have managed to form a family together; a mother, father,daughter, and step-father.”

  
  


From what she’d seen Aleu knew they were a loving family. They reminded her of her family back in Nome, Alaska, and how much she missed them.

  
  


“We are all a family as well.” The Ninja said, gesturing to them. “We will follow their example and look out for one another. I promise I will protect you all with my life.”

  
  


_He’s a true ninja_ Julius thought. _So noble, so brave,...unlike me…_

  
  


He wrung his tail again. Ever since he wimped out at the sight of The Sorcerer, Julius had felt insecure about himself. He wasn’t even that proud he saved Alice anymore. It felt so insignificant compared to someone who faced The Sorcerer everyday _and_ took out stanks along the way. He even fought him off when in grief! Julius felt he could never amount to that.

  
  


“Hey, you okay Julius?” Plop Plop whispered, noticing how tight he was gripping his tail.

  
  


“Y-yeah, I’m all right.” Julius said.

  
  


“You’re going to hurt yourself.” Plop Plop said, sounding worried.

  
  


“I’m fine.” Julius sighed, loosening his grip to ease Plop Plop’s worry. That had to be part of what The Ninja was talking about right? Looking out for each others' worries too? Plop Plop kept giving him nervous glances, enforcing the ‘look out for one another.’ The Ninja couldn’t worry right now, he was trying to honor the fallen, which Julius respected dearly.

  
  


Aleu was the most moved by this speech and howled the hardest.

 

“The next...did something I won’t be able to forgive...even in his death.” The Ninja hesitated. “He hurt his squire...and I can never overlook that. In the last year I can tell he made a noble effort to get along with him, which I admire. However, it's obvious his abuse had done irreversible damage. We must never harm each other. We can't make his same mistakes.” He waited a moment to let everyone process his words and give enough time to go onto his next tangent. “He was basically our leader, and one of the bravest ninjas I've ever seen. I will try to be as brave as he did, and take down The Sorcerer.”

 

Aleu howled, and they moved onto the last ninja.

 

“What does a cat listen to?”

 

They were surprised he was telling another joke, but then they realized who was next.

 

“What?” Ortensia asked.

 

“Mew-sic.”

 

Everyone laughed again, even harder than last time.

 

“These are the last two we have to honor before moving onto speeches.” The Ninja explained. “My brother has been timid and anxious his whole life. So much so, my father had one on one relaxation lessons with him. If there was ever a time for relaxation exercises it would be now. Let's try one. Slowly inhale then exhale."   
  
Everyone took a deep breath, held it in for a moment, then exhaled.  
  
Aleu inhaled deeply. The wind rustled her fur, and she relaxed in the cool evening air. When she looked to the sky, the orange was fading and turning in a dark blue,with a sliver of moon showing. Some stars were starting to sparkle in the sky.  
  
Aleu loved the stars. They reminded her of the day she met Muru. She remembered hearing his song and joining in. He'd said singing was a wolf's specialty (Along with their sense of smell.) At the time she hadn't been fond of being half wolf (Having then only recently learned she was part wolf from her father Balto, after an incident with a hunter.) She made it clear her mother was a purebred husky, proving she wasn't a (fully) wolf. Muru had pointed out that wasn't 'who she was' but rather 'what she was'. Aleu asked how she could find out who she was. He'd then turned the crystals he was standing on and the lights shined through. The walls shined with colorful light and stars. Muru sung to her and explained how to find out who she really was she needed to go on a journey of self discovery. Aleu did, and things unfolded from there. She'd learned about The Grand Design and how everyone had a part in it. She finally found her place.  
  
Aleu noticed them staring and waiting. She howled.  
  
"I will start the speeches." The Ninja said, then cleared his throat.  "I think I've basically said all I can in the tributes, but I have a few more things to say. These were my brothers. My sisters. The ninjas, the squires, all of them. We had rough times in the past, but in the last year things were improving. I'm glad we ended on a high note, even if it was a short time. I will miss them dearly." He sighed sadly and looked to the crowd, silently asking 'Who's next?'

  
Plop Plop stepped up front. “Well....I mean I miss them too. It's actually been kind of weird with them being nice to us. Not that I'm complaining, but....it was surreal...and I'm going to miss it. It was...nice...”

  
  


Plop Plop still felt uncomfortable even giving a speech in private. The Ninja noticed this and patted his back in comfort. Plop Plop smiled lightly and sat back down.

  
  


The Messenger was next. “What I said at the public funeral is all true, however I could say more. They were pure of heart and brave beyond reason. They were truly ninjas. They cared about the villagers and protected them like a mother boar protecting her piglets. They were as cunning and sly  as a fox. They were like a dog whose bite was worse than their bark.”

  
  


Then he did what he wanted to do before at the public funeral. The Ninja hugged back tightly. Everyone clapped, and The Messenger took a bow, playing along.

  
  


“That was a great speech, daddy!” Ortensia said giving him a hug. The Messenger smiled and hugged back.

  
  


Julius went up next. _Plop Plop was right, my tail is kinda sore._ Despite this he gave it one more squeeze before starting, “I think The Ninjas were really brave...braver than most people...and cats. Sure, they called me ‘Fuzzball’ and ‘Hairball’, but I forgive them. They were my heroes. Ninja?” He turned to him. “You’re my hero.”

  
  


Then he hugged him tighter than The Messenger had, and sobbed into him. The Ninja patted his back and stroked his head gently. Julius managed a light purr and moved his now sore tail idly from side to side. Once his shaking died down, he went back to the others, who also patted his back in comfort.

  
  


Aleu was tempted to go down and join them, but decided not to. She didn’t know Julius as well as they did and was afraid she’d only make things worse.

  
  


Oswald went up next. “I wasn’t immune to the name calling, though I’ll admit they were uncreative. Long ears? What kind of insult is that!? Yes, my ears are looooong and big I know~” As he said this, he stroked of his ears, causing everyone to chuckle. “I still remember the night I snapped at the squires.”

  
  


He let out a dry chuckle. “I like to think that made them change their minds about how they treated us.”

  
  


“How modest of him.” Julius jokingly whispered to Ortensia, shielding his mouth with the back of his paw.

  
  


Ortensia put her paw to her mouth to try to stifle a giggle, but she failed.

  
  


“Hey I heard that Pussy willow!” Oswald teased. He went into the crowd and playfully tackled Julius. Julius laughed and pawed his face, then got an ear in his mouth and playfully bit and tugged. Oswald laughed too and pawed him.

  
  


“Oooh, Honey-bun!” Ortensia cooed. Oswald looked up and she kissed him deeply on the lips. Oswald blushed and embraced her.

  
  


Ortensia giggled, “Come on, Honey-bun, I have to give my speech.”

  
  


Oswald gave her one last kid on the cheek before letting her go. She got up to the front and began, “Oooh, I hate that big old mean Sorcerer! How dare he take others lives like that! Well, he’s got some nerve if he thinks he can take down The Red Ninja though!” She huffed. Ortensia was flustered and her face turned a strawberry red. Her cheeks were puffed and she put her fists to her side. “I’m going to do what I can to take down that monster too! I can throw some punches, scratch and claw his leg open! I’m not letting him get away with this!”

  
  


“Neither am I, Ortensia!” The Ninja said, walking forward to stand beside her, and putting a hand on her shoulder and give a firm squeeze. “I applaud your bravery, and I’m glad to have someone like you on my side.”

  
  


“Thanks.” Ortensia said smiling. He noticed her eyes were still damp with tears and wiped them away. She sat back down and snuggled Oswald close.

  
  


They all looked up in Aleu with expectant eyes. Aleu felt a wave of anxiety wash over her and she backed away slightly. They stared for a moment, waiting to see if she’d give a speech. Nervously she walked to the edge and nervously began, “H-hello. I’m A-Aleu. You might be wondering why I’m here, well, um...This might sound crazy,...but…As a puppy I touched a ball...like ones The Sorcerer has. It zapped me and it gave me a weird power. I can see visions, but only ones related to The Alph-...Ninjas. The only way to stop the visions is to be in the same place as you. I’ve seen and heard of the awful things The Sorcerer has done. I promise I’ll do what I can to help stop him.”

  
  


The Ninja’s eyes widened, and everyone else gasped. Then they fell into a silence and Aleu felt panic take over. She jolted away.

  
  


Aleu hunched over and panted heavily.

  
  


“Aleu!” Matsu ran over and put her head under her chin for support. “Are you all right?”

  
  


“I-I’m fine.” She panted. “I just need to...rest…”

  
  


Matsu lead her to the den to sleep. Aleu laid down and closed her eyes. She had a vision in her sleep:

  
  


_The group was making there way back to the house. If they discussed anything about her, she’d missed it. The Messenger tipped his hat with a smile, grabbed Ortensia’s paw and went off with her._

  
  


_The two of them talked as they made their way back to their house. It was a shabby little paper house with a few rooms: One bedroom they shared, a bathroom, and a kitchen. They went into the bedroom and snuggled close to each other under the blanket._

  
  


“ _I love you daddy.” Ortensia yawned, stretching her paws into the air. “Good night.”_

  
  


“ _Night sweetheart, I love you.” The Messenger said, kissing her cheek. She laid her head on his chest, purred, and fell asleep. The Messenger wrapped his arms around her and fell asleep too._

  
  


_The vision shifted back to The Ninja house. The Ninja, Julius, Oswald, and Plop Plop got into bed and squished themselves together._

  
  


_While everyone else fell asleep, The Ninja’s eyes were wide open, unable to sleep._

  
  


…..

  
  


Aleu woke up, still panting. She squinted and looked out the cave. It was now late, and all the orange in the sky was gone, replaced entirely by the dark blue. The moon was out and crescent, and more stars sparkled brightly. Her eyes flashed again, signaling a vision. She shook her head quickly and headed off to The Ninja house.

  
  


As she drew near as stepped more quietly, not wanting to get caught. Aleu didn’t know what they’d do to her now that they knew she knew,well….basically everything! However, she wanted the visions to stop and she knew this was the only way.

  
  


Aleu just sat there, looking at the stars. She didn't think of Muru this time, she was distracted. Aleu was afraid of what they'd do if they caught her.

 

“You're not howling tonight.” Said a voice from behind. Aleu turned around and saw The Ninja. He looked less intimating without his ninja suit on. She never noticed how beautiful and shiny his brown his eyes were. The Ninja walked over and sat next to her.

 

“Why did you run off?”

 

Aleu tensed up again. “I-I...I was scared.”

 

The Ninja frowned. “Why?”

 

“A-aren't you going to kill me?”

 

“Kill you?” The Ninja sounded completely dumbfounded. “Why would I kill you?”

 

“Don't I know too much?”

 

The Ninja shrugged “I suppose, but that's not a reason to kill you.”

 

“But-”

 

The Ninja put his hand up to shush her. “I don't know where you get your ideas from, but Ninjas rarely kill.”

 

“Don't you have to do something about me?” Aleu asked.

 

“In this case, you're part of the family I suppose.” The Ninja answered.

Aleu's ears perked up and she looked over in surprise. He gave a small smile and put his arm around her. Aleu relaxed and laid down. The Ninja stayed there and petted her the rest of the night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	7. Flies in The Vaseline We Are

Early the next morning The Ninja woke up groggy from spending half the night up with Aleu. As he sat up, Julius, Plop Plop, and Oswald shifted and woke up. They knew this was his first solo patrol, and they were worried for his emotional state.

 

“Hey uh...do you want us to come with you?” Plop Plop asked.

 

The Ninja froze and looked his squire over. He looked very sympathetic and sad. Oswald and Julius gave the same look, their ears, and Julius' tail drooping.

 

The Ninja exhaled sharply. “If you want to come with me, you may.”

 

Plop Plop, Oswald, and Julius hurried over to his side. He smiled, but it was strained and a bit pained.

 

They went to the kitchen and got breakfast: It was mainly fruits like grapefruit,blueberries,strawberries,pears,apples and bananas, and bread. Since Julius was a carnivore, there was chicken as well.

 

They ate silently and slowly, unsure what they'd say. They were still grieving the events of the other day. Julius was picking at his chicken and when he did eat, he chewed it for a long time. Plop Plop meanwhile was eating quite a bit. Oswald managed to eat about the same amount as usual. The Ninja finished up and went to change.

 

He went through the motions getting his suit, first the suit, then the mask, and finally the gloves. He looked at his reflection and sighed. It was going to be hard doing it solo. He adjusted everything so the suit was orderly, despite the fact if he got into battle, it would get messed up.

 

He went back to the kitchen to see if everyone else was ready. They finished quickly and joined him outside.

 

He looked up and saw Aleu on the hills, watching them. As they walked she followed from above. The Ninja knew why she was up there, they'd discussed it, among many other things, the previous night:

 

_The Ninja kept stroking Aleu's back gently as they both looked up at the sky. By now Aleu's breathing had calmed down and she was completely relaxed. It would take a while for her to feel like she was part of the family, but she was just glad she wasn't going to die._

 

 _After about ten minutes of silence, The Ninja spoke again. "Aleu?"  
  
Aleu jolted awake from her accidental slumber and looked up at The Ninja, pretending she didn't fall asleep. "Yes?"  
  
"Why haven't you come down to the village before?"  
  
Aleu shifted uncomfortably. "I was afraid they'd think I was a...wolf."  
  
The Ninja looked confused. "Aren't you a wolf?"  
  
"Part wolf." She corrected. "My mother happens to be a purebred husky."  
  
"So your father's the wolf then."  
  
Aleu shook her head. "No, he's a wolf dog like me. My grandmother was a wolf. I mean I'm not ashamed of it anymore though, but, I'm worried they'd be scared."  
  
"Anymore?" The Ninja asked.  
  
Aleu sighed. "Ever since I was a puppy, I've been different. My brothers and sister all have red fur like my mother, but I got a wolf coat like my dad. I also howled when I was excited...Well I still do." She let out a dry chuckle. "When it was time for us to get adopted, my siblings got adopted, but no one chose me. I stayed with my dad. Oh, who I forgot to mention is a hero in Nome, Alaska for bringing medicine to them, including my mother's owner Rosie."  
  
"Your father sounds really brave." The Ninja commented.  
  
"He is." Aleu said with a small smile before going on, "I grew up with him,a goose named Boris, and my best friends,two polar bears named Muk and Luk. One day when I was playing I came across a hunter who I thought wanted to adopt me,but...He wanted to kill me. Dad explained he thought I was a wolf and finally told me I'm part wolf. I was so upset I ran off. Dad eventually found me and we met a wolf pack. The caribou were gone and it turns out only a wolf who didn't know they were a wolf could help. They thought it was my dad, but it was me. I lead the pack to where the caribou were and it was here. I only had the vision to lead me here. The rest of my visions have been about you. I learned about you, and the horrors The Sorcerer caused. That's why I want to help you stop him."  
  
The Ninja smiled and hugged her. "Thanks Aleu."  
  
They were silent again, and Aleu fell asleep. The Ninja petted her one last time before going back inside. He shimmied his way back into his spot in the bed. Julius' eyes fluttered open, and he groggily asked, "What...are you doing?"  
  
"Shh." The Ninja said gently,pulling Julius close to his chest and stroked his back. Julius purred and fell back to sleep, his arms wrapped around him,snuggling close.  
  
The Ninja yawned, his eyelids feeling heavy. He fell asleep too.  
  
_.... _  
_The five of them started the patrol. They ran into The Messenger and Ortensia delivering the mail. When then they saw him they smiled sympathetically and waved.

 

“Good morning, Ortensia...” Oswald said with a small wave. Usually his voice was bright and cheery when he saw her every morning, but today it seemed like it took an effort. He walked forward and kissed Ortensia on the cheek.

 

She blushed and giggled before kissing back.

 

Ortensia looked at The Ninja nervously. “Are you okay?”

  
  


“Yes, I’m fine.” The Ninja said, although he sounded unsure. “Thanks.”

  
  


Ortensia bit her lip and hugged his legs. He leaned down and patted her head.

  
  


“We finished delivering the mail, do you want some company?” Ortensia asked.

  
  


The Ninja smile softly, “Of course.”

  
  


So, The Ninja, Plop Plop, The Messenger, Aleu,Oswald,Ortensia, and Julius went off together, as a family.

  
  


Aleu watched from above, following along the best she could.

  
  


….

  
  


The Sorcerer was in his cave talking to The Sorceress via the orb.

  
  


“Today will be the day my dear Sorceress! The other ninjas are gone, and there’s only him left! There’s no way he can stop me alone!”

  
  


The other side The Sorceress cackled in delight. “ _ **Perfect! Soon we'll be together again and wreck havoc throughout Norrisville!”**_

  
  


“Of course we will.” He stroked the orb gently, as if it were The Sorceress’s face. “And I have the perfect plan. I’ll attack the village and gather a considerable amount of power, then find The Ninja and blast him with all of it. All that power will be too much for his mere mortal body and he’ll die!”

  
  


The Sorceress laughed. “ _ **Perfect!”**_

  
  


…….

  
  


In The Land of The Shadows, The Sorceress set down the ball she was holding. Her necklace shifted with the sudden weight of the orb. She looked back at The Peddler, hoping he’d help pass the time until her escape.

  
  


“You should say your goodbyes now, peddler.” The Sorceress said, idly shifting purple stank between her hands.

  
  


“Oh...Goodbye.” The Peddler said awkwardly with a weak smile.

  
  


The Sorceress smirked as she approached him and put a hand under his chin. “You better be more sincere when I actually do leave.” She chuckled. Although she was joking, it made The Peddler slightly uneasy.

  
  


_Why is she being nice to me? Is she just glad she’s leaving today, or worse...is she going to kill me? Yeah, she could just be humoring me before killing me!_

  
  


He tensely waited as The Sorceress pulled her hand away from his chin, feeling warm.

  
  


“Gathering that much power will take a while.” The Sorceress said out loud, although it was obvious she was talking to herself. “I need something to pass the time...And I’m not going to be stuck counting all the rocks on the walls again! Peddler!”

  
  


“Y-yes S-s-sorceress?” He stuttered out.

  
  


“Why don’t we play a game to pass the time until my escape?” The Sorceress asked.

  
  


The Peddler relaxed. “O-oh all right...What kind of game? I can’t do much, because…” He looked at the shackles on his arms and sighed sadly. “You know…”

  
  


“How about something visual based.” The Sorceress suggested. “Like...Lets see...I spy, I believe it’s called.”

 

“That sounds fun.” The Peddler said with a nervous smile. 'I spy with my little e-”

 

The Sorceress stopped him. “I'm starting.”

 

“Oh o-okay.” The Peddler said. He was intimated by her.

 

“I spy with my fine eye something....hm...golden.”

 

“My pants?” The Peddler asked.

 

“No.” The Sorceress said. “Don't flatter yourself thinking I'd be looking at you.”

 

“R-right.” The Peddler said. He looked around. What were they? _The rocks? No those are blue. Her orbs? No, purple. Her eyes? No they're beautiful..white! They're white!_ He looked around some more, but he was still wonder why he'd think that about her eyes. He looked up in exasperation and saw the gold cuffs on his wrist. “Oh! My cuffs?”

 

“Yes.” The Sorceress was actually slightly impressed he got it right. The Peddler looked around. "Hmm I spy with my little eye something...Beaut...green."  
  
The Sorceress looked around. "The moss on the wall?"  
  
He shook his head. "No."  
  
She looked around some more. "The light outside the cave?"  
  
"Isn't that more yellow than green?"  
  
The Sorceress rolled her eyes. "Well then...Hm...Me?"  
  
The Peddler seemed thrilled she got it right, but he wad nervously hoping she wouldn't question what he was going to say before saying green.  
  
 _Why am I even thinking these things about her? She's a monster, just like he is! They're not different at all! She is him!_ _  
_  
Luckily The Sorceress didn't say anything about it, and went on to her next object, "I spy with my fine eye something...utterly depressing..."  
  
The Peddler frowned at her tone. _What she find depressing? Happiness?_  
  
"Uh...The Land of Shadows in general?" He guessed. He knew she hated it here like he did, that was one of the only things they could agree on. The other things like happiness,generosity, and overall good will were some of the many thing they couldn't agree on.

 

“No.” The Sorceress said.

 

He looked around and his eyes landed on her again. Despite trying to show no emotion, she seemed crestfallen. “You?”

 

She shot him a look. “What!?”

 

He got scared again. “I-I mean...you seem...sad...a-about being here, I mean...”

 

“No.” The Sorceress said. “Besides, why would I be? I'm getting out today.”

 

“Right.” The Peddler said, although he doubted it. He small his reflection in a small puddle of water. He looked exhausted, worn and overall...depressed. “Me?”

 

“Yes.” The Sorceress said. He yawned and stretched. “I'm too tired to continue,Peddler.”

 

She leaned against the wall and closed her eyes. As she dozed off, she shifted a bit and her head ended up against The Peddler's leg. He tensed up at the touch and nervously looked down.

 

How was he going to get her off? He was afraid if he moved his leg at all it would make her hostile. After thinking for a minute, he realized he didn't really want her off his leg. He couldn't fully understand it, but he felt oddly calm...Slowly his eyes closed and he fell asleep too.

 

…........

The Ninja and his family kept patrol on the village, looking for any danger. Julius spotted Alice and panicked. He got next to Ortensia and pushed to arm, trying to get her and The Messenger to move to the side.

 

“Hey! Julius, what are you do-!?” Ortensia started to scold. The Messenger looked up and noticed Alice coming. Knowing what Julius was trying to do, he pulled Ortensia to the side with him. Julius lost his balance and fell down.

 

The Ninja, Plop Plop, Oswald, and Aleu kept going, knowing they'd catch up later.

 

When Alice saw them she gasped and hurried over. “Julius! Are you okay!?”

 

“Yeah, I'm fine.” Julius said, getting up and brushing himself off.

 

“Are you hurt?” She asked worriedly.

 

“No, just a little sore, but it's all good.”

 

Alice looked unsure and helped Julius dust himself off. She glanced over to The Messenger and Ortensia, giving a small glare, before turning back to Julius. _I bet that mean messenger and his dumb cat pushed him down!_

 

“Where are you three heading off to?” Alice asked.

 

“Uh..well we uh...uh..um..” Julius stuttered, unable to come up with an excuse.

 

“We're delivering mail.” The Messenger said.

 

“I see...” Alice said. She looked back to Julius for confirmation.

 

“Right,right! We're delivering the mail!”

 

“I thought you didn't deliver mail. I thought fighting was your forte.” Alice pointed out.

 

Julius gripped his tail and wrung it nervously. “Well...Y-yeah I did say that but I-uh..I'm uh..”

 

“We're teaching him how!” Ortensia chimed in.

 

“Yeah, they're teaching me!” Julius sighed in relief, letting go of his tail.

 

 

Alice wasn't sure if she should believe them or not. She still had a feeling The Messenger and Ortensia were hurting him. “Well, I already got my mail. Why didn't you say hi?”

 

“Tight schedule.” The Messenger said before Julius could start stuttering. “Very tight. Stopping to talk would waste time.”

 

“Like now?” She asked.

 

“It's because there's only one house left to deliver mail too and it's ours!” Julius said. The Messenger and Ortensia had no idea how to respond to his excuse.

 

“You deliver your own mail?” Alice asked. “Why don't you leave that mail at home?”

 

“Well I uh...” Julius wrung out his tail.

 

“We don't have enough time to sort it out of the other mail.” Ortensia chimed in.

 

“I see..” Alice said. “So since you're done, wanna hang out?”

 

“I-”

 

“Oh he'd love to, but we have a lot more to teach him!” Ortensia said.

 

“Like what?” Alice asked impatiently.

 

“He needs to learn the route by heart.” The Messenger explained, grabbing Ortensia and Julius's paws. “It's important to do it before everyone else in the village wakes up, or they'll be a distraction.”

 

Before Alice could speak again they hurried off in the direction of The Ninja, Plop Plop, and Oswald.

 

“One of these days you're going to get found out.” Oswald said.

 

Julius sighed. “I hope not.”

 

“Why are you even trying to keep this a secret?” Oswald asked.

 

“I...I..I think it's...better...this way. If they knew I was The Ninja's cat....what if they targeted me? Or what if they found me with him when he's not the ninja and put two and two together?”

 

“I'm always with Plop Plop.” Oswald said.

 

“But Plop Plop is only publicly with The Ninja when he's, well...The Ninja!”

 

“But you're doing the opposite.” Oswald pointed out.

 

“I know.” Julius sighed. This time when he wrung his tail it was out of stress rather than anxiety. “But things will be fine. I mean Alice isn't going to find out I'm The Ninja's cat...”

 

The Ninja noticed he was anxious and put his hand on his shoulder gently. “It's all right, just calm down. We need to focus right now on making sure The Sorcerer isn't causing havoc.”

 

Suddenly Aleu's eyes flashed bright yellow and she paused, her mouth agape. _Wait I'm having a vision? But, how? Why? I can't be too far away....I can see The Ninja from here!_

 

….....

The Sorcerer appeared in a cloud of green smoke in the middle of the village. The villagers paused and looked over, silent for a moment, before screaming in fear. They scattered everywhere trying not get caught by the monster.

 

This is exactly what The Sorcerer wanted: Their fear. The orbs on his waist filled up with stank, which he shot at them.

 

Their bodies contorted into various monsters. One was like a lion, with a full mane of red leafs. His teeth were gnarled and yellowed, with sharp tips that could puncture the tip with one touch. His back arched like a panther, and his tail was like a rat's tail. His paws had 3 sharp claws each as sharp as his teeth. His eyes shined light yellow.

 

Another was a horse with her hooves sharpened to a point. Her dark gray mane was a mess like her chocolate brown coat. Her teeth were uneven yellowed squares, which were worn down. Her eyes were also a light yellow.

 

There was also a bright yellow tiger with fangs so large he couldn't close his mouth. His claws were four a paw and as sharp as a knife. His tail was spiked like a mace, and he swung it around.

 

The Sorcerer cackled as he shot more stank out. “You shall be free soon my dear Sorceress!”

 

…...

 

The Sorceress woke up to her necklace flashing. She pulled away from The Peddler, causing him to wake up. She held the orb close and listened to The Sorcerer speak.

 

“ _ **You shall be free soon my dear Sorceress!”**_

These words took her out of her groggy state and she joined in with his laughter.

 

“ _ **The plan is working perfectly!”**_

 

“Yes!” The Sorceress said. She stopped her laughing. "Do me one favor when you kill The Ninja, though."  
  
 _ **Yes my dear?**_  
  
"Give me his heart." She said in a near growl. "I want to crush it, like he crushed mine by taking you away from me!"  
  
 _ **I promise, I'll save it for you.**_  
  
"Thank you. I love y-...That soon I'll be able to be with you again." The Sorceress caught herself. _How could I be so foolish!? I can't confess my love for him! He'd see it as weak, and pathetic! Besides, I doubt he feels the same... If anything I'm just a partner that he's given a cutesy nickname to. We'd be like a fox and rabbit...In theory we could work together as partners, but...love? The fox would rather eat that rabbit alive than love it! I cannot let myself slip like that ever again!_  
  
"...Yes....I knew you would." The Sorcerer said awkwardly.  
  
 _Curses! He figured out what I was going to say! Perhaps when I escape I won't mention it or slip up again and it will be fine._  
  
"Yes..." She repeated.  
  
They awkwardly said their goodbyes and hung up their orbs.  
  
"You have it bad." The Peddler chuckled.  
  
"What do you mean?" The Sorceress asked.  
  
"You know. Love." He chuckled again.  
  
The Sorceress felt her face become warm, and she quickly hid her blush. "I-I have no i-idea what y-you're talking about, Peddler."  
  
He frowned at her uncomfortableness. "I'm sorry." He apologized. "I didn't mean to embarrass you."  
  
"You didn't!" The Sorceress said way too quickly. She needed to change the subject. "So...Why did I wake up snuggled up against your leg?"  
It was The Peddler's turn to blush. “Y-you fell asleep a-against my leg, and I-I didn't want to disturb you.”

 

“So you fear me.” The Sorceress said, smirking, a small laugh in her voice.

 

“Y-yeah.” The Peddler stuttered out. “O-of course. I mean y-you're so p-powerful, S-Sorceress.”

 

“Good, you should fear me.” The Sorceress said. “My power is only second to that of The Sorcerer. When we’re together again, we’ll be unstoppable.”

  
  


The Peddler felt scared again and he nervously laughed along with her. Seeing The Sorceress smile made him relax. _Her laugh it’s so...It’s so….chilling...I like it…._

  
  


“Why don’t we play more I Spy?” The Sorceress asked.

  
  


The Peddler smiled. “Yeah. I’d like that.

  
  


……….

  
  


“She loves me…” The Sorcerer said to his rat companion. The rat squeaked in question. “Yes of course the feelings are mutual! What kind of question is that?!”

  
  


The rat squeaked again.

  
  


“Because I was nervous? I was nervous because I _do_ love her!” The Sorcerer didn’t want to waste time explaining love to a rat. He shot more stank, managing to stank another woman:

She turned into a red raccoon. Her teeth and claws were gnarled and sharp, her whiskers twisted into curly qs. Her tail poofed out like an angry cat’s back.

  
  


…….

“I think there’s something wrong with Aleu.” Julius said.

  
  


The Ninja paused and looked up to see her in mid vision. “She’s fine Julius, she’s just having a vision.”

  
  


“A vision?” Julius asked.

  
  


“Yes.” The Ninja said, nodding in confirmation. He explained something else he and Aleu had discussed the other night:

 

 

“ _Why don't you tell me some more about the visions you have.” The Ninja suggested._

  
_Aleu yawned and her eyes fluttered open. She was exhausted. To wake herself up, Aleu stood and stretched her back out. “It's really weird. I freeze up and according to my pack, my eyes become a bright yellow. I usually see you, Dark Pr- uh, I mean Julius, The Sorcerer, and your brothers, before...you know...But when I'm by you my visions, stop. Sometimes they keep me awake at night.”_

  
  


“ _So that's why you howl here at night?” The Ninja asked._

  
  


“ _Yeah....” Aleu said, sounding lost in thought. She looked up at the sky, now calm enough to be reminded of Muru. She looked back to The Ninja. “Were you serious earlier...about me being a part of your family I mean.”_

  
  


“ _Yes.” The Ninja said. He put his arm around her again. She relaxed and fell asleep._

  
  


…...

  
  


“The Sorcerer!” Aleu barked, running to the edge to tell them.

  
  


“Where!?” The Ninja asked.

  
  


“The Village Center!” Aleu panted out.

  
  


The Ninja turned around quickly and hurried to the village center.

  
  


The Sorcerer had just turned a man into a frog stank with saber tooth fangs and four sharp pointed claws per foot. A wicked grin spread on his face when he saw him. “Ninja...How unexpected...and by that I mean very expected!”

  
  


He shot stank and The Ninja leapt out of the way. He took out his sword and lunged. The Sorcerer grabbed it and flung it out of the way. Fortunately he landed on his feet and caught the sword before it hit the ground, all while giving him a glare.

  
  


“Ninja, you don't stand a chance without your brothers.” The Sorcerer said, gathering more stank.

  
  


From the sidelines Plop Plop, Julius, Ortensia, The Messenger, and Oswald watched with bated breath. From the mountains, Aleu held her breath.

  
  


The Ninja lunged again and kicked The Sorcerer down. The Sorcerer growled angrily and kicked at The Ninja.

  
  


The two kept at it for a long time; dodging attacks, lunging towards each other, striking stomachs, legs, and faces, with hands and feet.  
  
The Ninja panted as he looked down The Sorcerer. He was looking him down too, but with a twisted grin present on his face.  
  
Not wanting to be taken off guard, The Ninja decided to attack first. He ran forward, sword out. The Sorcerer didn't have time to react as The Ninja's sword cut through his belt, causing it and the chaos pearls to fall the ground in a pile. As the orbs made contact with each other they started to glow a dark green. The Sorcerer, The Ninja,Plop Plop, The Messenger, Oswald,Ortensia,Aleu,and Julius looked over in confusion as a cloud of green smoke started to form. It started to shape into something that almost looked like a canine, but not exactly dog-like.  
  
From the smoke a hyena stepped forward. He was a dark gray with even darker spots on his body and muzzle, with a tanish-gray underbelly. His legs and backs of ears, and his nose were an even darker gray, almost black. Speaking of his ears, one had a small piece missing from it. His mane was black and stuck straight up, although like his short tail it was messy. The hyena's eyes were coal black with light yellow eye whites. He stepped towards The Ninja. "Pleased to meet your acquaintance, Ninja. The name's Janja. I'm basically The Chaos Pearl's living form. When those orbs come together, I appear!"  
  
He saw The Sorcerer and bowed. “Since you're the master of the pearls, I'll do anything you say, Sorcerer.”

  
  


The Sorcerer grinned maliciously and looked over to The Ninja. “Reeaaaallly?”

  
  


The Ninja stayed frozen, unsure how to react.

  
  


“Janja!” The Sorcerer said, causing the hyena to stand up and wait for a command. “Destroy the ninja!”

  
  


Janja let out a growl and lunged forward. The Ninja struck his nose, causing him to stumble back. He snarled and jumped again, managing to pin him this time. He snapped at his face, but The Ninja kicked him off. Janja snarled and arched his back, The Ninja glared. He ran forward and swiped with his paw, which The Ninja grabbed to throw him back. Janja fell on his back and quickly jumped up again.

  
  


“You're not going to make this easy are you!?” Janja snarled, stank gathering around him. He blasted it and The Ninja dodged. Janja tried again, but failed. He had another idea. To The Ninja's confusion he shot stank on the ground.

  
  


Two other hyenas formed. For the most part their coloring was the same. Although the one with the spaced out mane and even more chunks out of his ears than Janja, had a reddish nose. The other was heavily built with a more straight mane. Like Janja he only had one small chunk missing from his ear.

  
  


“Meet Cheezi and Chungu!” Janja said.

  
  


“Nice to meet you!” The bulkier one, Chungu, said in a friendly way.

  
  


“No you fur brains, attack!” Janja ordered.

“But you said we should meet, Janja!” The red nosed one, Cheezi said, confused.

  
  


“I didn't mean it like that numskulls! Now attack!”

  
  


The two hyenas leapt forward, but The Ninja stepped out of the way and they stumbled towards the onlookers. They all shrunk back in fear.

  
  


“Aw look at the kitties!” Chungu said in a sweet, innocent tone. He got closer to Julius. Julius tensed up as the hyena sniffed him,almost like he was a dog. He then licked him across the face. “Mmm, cat tastes good.”

  
  


The Ninja ran over, sword in hand, and stabbed Chungu in the back. To everyone’s surprise he vanished in green smoke. He was gone. Completely

  
  


Cheezi screamed when he saw this and ran back to Janja. He laid on his stomach by Janja’s feet and put his paws on Janja’s paw. His eyes and voice were pleading as he said, “You didn’t tell us we were gonna die, Janja! I don’t wanna die! I don’t wanna die!”

  
  


“Knock it off furbrain and fight!” Janja ordered, pushing him off. However Cheezi was too worried about dying to fight properly. This allowed The Ninja to hit him in between the shoulder blades, causing him to vanish too.

  
  


“How come you’re not this easy to beat..?” The Ninja panted out.

  
  


“Weren’t you listening!” Janja barked, as he headed over to The Chaos Pearls. He put his paw on one and stroked it like a prized jewel. “I’m the embodiment of these things! Those two clowns were just made of pure stank!”

  
  


The Ninja attacked again, and this time Janja was the one who leapt of the way, and grabbing The Ninja’s headband in his mouth. The Ninja fell and Janja pulled more. He lifted his leg and kicked the hyena in the snout, causing him to stumble back into the orbs.

  
  


Bright yellowish green light started flashing around Janja ‘What!? No! No! I’ll get your for this, Ninja!” Janja became one again with The Chaos Pearls.

  
  


The Sorcerer picked up his belt of orbs and put it back on. “That hyena was a disgrace to these orbs! If I ever seen him again I’ll stop him myself!”

  
  


He shot stank and the two continued their battle, which consisted of shooting stank, dodging, kicks, punches, and ninja sword swinging. They both stood there, panting heavily. Sweat was sticking to The Ninja’s suit.

  
  


“Give up….Ninja?” The Sorcerer panted.

  
  


“Never!...” The Ninja managed to say.

  
  


“I won’t give up either…” The Sorcerer panted. “I will be back...and I will kill you…”

  
  


He escaped in a cloud of green smoke.

  
  


The Ninja was exhausted, and The Messenger and Plop Plop had to hold his arms to help him home.

  
  


When they arrived home he climbed into bed and snuggled Plop Plop, and  Julius, close. The Messenger,Oswald, and Ortensia went to make tea for when they woke up.

  
  


“I’m worried.” Ortensia said as she warmed up the water. “I’m scared that he might not be able to take down The Sorcerer…”

  
  


The Messenger frowned and put his hand on her shoulder in comfort. “It’ll be all right, my dear.”

  
  


“Don’t worry Ortensia.” Oswald said, giving her a kiss on the cheek. She got the honey glows something awful and hugged tightly.

  
  


They put the tea leafs in and watched them float around as the water browned. It was memorizing and even calming. Especially after what had just happened.

  
  


Ortensia went over to the cup cabinet to grab a cup for everyone. There were three different kinds of tea cups.

  
  


The first were The Ninja’s cups, they decided to leave all of them, except The Red Ninja’s cup be in memorial. Each had their color around the rim of the cup, and the letter that begins their color in cursive in the middle. None of them were chipped and they were all shiny and new looking. The Ninjas were the ones who made the tea usually, as they didn’t trust the squires to do it. They were afraid they’d mess up, make it too dark, too light, put too much in, or maybe even just spill it.  Ortensia pulled out the red rimmed cup with a cursive “R” in the middle and set it down.

  
  


The next set of glasses were the ones for the squires. Most of them were chipped and had small blood stains from lips getting cut. The insides were stained brown from the tea, due to lack of proper washing. Besides this they were plain white, except for one. One cup had blue rims and and a blue cursive “P” in the middle. Plop Plop’s cup. Ortensia grabbed it and looked at the last set of teacups.

  
  


These were guest cups. They were as shiny and perfect as The Ninja's cups, but they lacked a letter in the middle, and they had flowery pink rims. She grabbed some guest cups for her, her dad,Oswald, and Julius and poured the tea.

 

…...

The Sorcerer went back to his cave, nervous to tell The Sorceress the bad news. The rat patted his shoulder in comfort but it didn't help much. He grabbed one of the orbs and waited for an answer.

 

....  
  
The Sorceress was still playing I Spy with The Peddler.  
  
"My spy with my fine eye,something...clear."  
  
"Clear?" The Peddler sounded confused."Hm..clear..clear...." He looked around for anything clear. "Uh...The...air?"  
  
"No you fool, the air is not clear, it's invisible."  
  
"Oh....right." The Peddler was slightly embarrassed and looked away. That's when he saw it.  "The puddle of water?"  
  
"Yes." The Sorceress said. "I'm surprised you got that one."  
  
The Peddler blushed. "Y-yeah me n-neither. Th-that was a tough o-one."  
  
The Sorceress grinned. "Yes. Now it's your turn."  
  
"Okay!" The Peddler sounded excited. _Oh boy! I'm going to get her good this time! It'll be tougher than her 'clear' one!_  
  
"I spy with my little eye something beautiful."  
  
Before The Sorceress could reply her orb necklace glowed a bright purple.  
  
The Peddler frowned. _Darn it! I was going to get her!_  
  
In truth he wanted to say he was starting to have feelings for her. However he knew the point was moot, as she was absolutely smitten with The Sorcerer. Besides, maybe he didn't love her. Why would he love a monster like her?

 

She picked up the orb and smiled the smile The Peddler absolutely loved. “Sorcerer! When am I going to be freed?”

 

“ _ **There was an unfortunate...problem....”**_ The Sorcerer stuttered out.

 

The Sorceress narrowed her eyes. “A ninja problem I assume?”

 

“ _ **Yes, my dear Sorceress, a Ninja problem.”**_

 

The Peddler frowned. He'd started to think The Sorceress was actually pretty fun to be around, but whenever she talked to The Sorcerer, she just seemed cruel again.

 

The Sorceress hissed. “I hate that ninja!”

  
  


“ _ **Don’t worry. I will stop him, and save his heart for you.”**_

  
  


The Sorceress perked up a bit. “In the meantime I will try to find an escape.”

  
  


They hung up.

  
  


“An eeeeeeeescaaaape you saaaay?” Blurryface chucked as she entered the cave, her assistant on her shoulder. “Weeeeell an escape isn’t eaaaaaasy.”

  
  


“B-blurryface!” The Peddler reacted in fear.

  
  


“Dooooon’t Worry humble Peeeeeeddler.” She reassured. “I wasn’t looooking for you today. I was headed tooooo seee Aku’s sooooooul. However I overheeeeard The Sorceress talking about an escaaaaaape.”

  
  


“Well,” Blurryface leaned against the pile of bones, causing The Peddler to flinch in fear. “I don’t seeeeee any escapes in plaaaaaaaaaaaaaain siiiiight.”

  
  


She pushed more of her weight against the bones, causing The Peddler to whimper. She chuckled a bit and headed towards the cave’s exit. “Goooooood luck, Sorcereeeeresss!”

  
  


“Does she annoy you too?” The Sorceress asked, rolling her eyes.

  
  


The Peddler looked at the entrance of the cave to make sure she was gone. Then he leaned in and nervously whispered, “Yes...But more than that she scares me.”

  
  


“Don’t be scared of her.” The Sorceress replied. “She’s all bark and no bite, unlike me. I’m all bite and no bark.”

  
  


The Peddler smiled a bit. Somehow that reassured him.

 


	8. The Bird and The Stone

_**Another year later......** _

 

A mother raven sat in her nest on her eggs. She was eagerly waiting for her children to hatch. Her wings extended, keeping all six of them warm. Her stomach growled, and she looked up to the sky to caw for her mate.

 

He swooped down and met her at the nest, then nuzzled her. “Hello my dear.”

 

“Hello my love.” The mother raven cooed, nuzzling him back. “I'm rather hungry. Can you watch the eggs while I get some bugs?”

 

“Of course, my dear.” The father raven said gently. The mother flew off and the father took her place in the nest, sitting on the eggs to keep them nice and warm. Unfortunately in doing so, he knocked an egg out of the nest, which landed softly in the grass below.

 

The father didn't notice, and nestled the eggs close to him before yawing and dozing off.

 

…......

Like usual The Sorcerer was terrorizing Norrisville, and shooting stank. He hit a woman,  turning her into a cheetah-like stank. Her fur was a dark green, with even darker green spots. The bottoms of four clawed paws were white, as was her underbelly. Two large fangs stuck out from her mouth, making it  near impossible for it to close. She let out a mighty roar and lunged at The Ninja.  
  
He pushed the stank away,only angering her more. When he turned around,she crouched down and let out a low growl, while extending her claws. She was just about pounce when....  
  
"Behind you!" Aleu yelled. The Ninja turned around quickly and kicked The Stank's chest, causing her to fall back on her back. She destanked and rubbed her head.  
  
"Ugh, what happened?" She asked groggily. The stanknesia didn't let her remember what happened.  
  
"I'll take her to the shelter." Julius said to Plop Plop, The Messenger,Oswald, and Ortensia. They all nodded once.  
  
In the past year they'd all found a place in protecting Norrisville.  
  
The Ninja had become the village's sole protector. The villagers were grateful for him and amazed it was possible for only one ninja to fight The Sorcerer so effectively. Who knew The Red Ninja had it in him? Red Ninja. They didn't even bother calling him 'The Red Ninja' anymore, they just shortened it to 'The Ninja' or simply 'Ninja'. What would be the point of calling him his old name? (Except when talking about the past ninjas, or for clarification purposes.)  
  
Aleu was the look out. Not only could she yell down to The Ninja when an attack was coming from behind, but when she got visions of The Sorcerer she'd tell him.  
  
Plop Plop,The Messenger,Ortensia,Oswald, and Julius were helpers. They were  responsible were evacuating the villagers, helping them after being destanked or hurt, and leading them to the shelter.  
  
They all thought they'd found their place in The Grand Design. However whenever Julius said this, Aleu seemed unsure. She wouldn't say anything out loud but it was obvious. She'd purse her lips and look into the distance like she saw something they didn't.

 

Aleu didn't think think this is what Julius was meant for. She knew he had something even bigger to strive for.

 

Julius grabbed the woman's arm. “Come on, lets get you out of here.” The two of them headed off to the shelter.

 

“Thank you...” The woman said, still dazed. “What happened?”

 

“You got turned into a monster.” Julius explained simply. Being stanked had become so common place that it wasn't a shock anymore when it happened, even when it happened to you, because of how often it occurred.

 

“Again?” The woman sighed in aggravation. “This is the third time this week!”

 

“Yeah...I remember you.” Julius said, rubbing his still sore arm.

  
  


Two of those times The Ninja managed to stop her, but one of those times Julius had to face her:

  
  


_Julius, Plop Plop,Oswald,Ortensia, and The Messenger, were doing their job, trying to get everyone out of the village before The Sorcerer struck._

  
  


_Julius looked around to find someone to lead to the shelter, but there weren’t many people in the area, and his colleagues seemed to have it covered. He sighed, things were boring when he didn’t have anything to do. Usually he got the short end of the stick during these things._

  
  


“ _I’m going to patrol the east side of the village.” The Ninja said._

  
  


_That gave Aleu an idea. “Wait!”_

  
  


_The Ninja stopped, and he and the others turned to Aleu. “Why don’t you take Julius with you?”_

  
  


_The Ninja furrowed his brows in confusion under his mask._

  
  


“ _I mean…” Aleu continued. “He doesn’t have anything else to do. So why not take him with?”_

  
  


“ _Because, it’s dangerous.” The Ninja said. “I don’t want him to get hurt or killed.”_

  
  


“ _He’s dealt with stanks before.” Aleu pointed out. “Remember that little girl Alice? He saved her from one.”_

  
  


“ _Yes, but he got hurt.” The Ninja pointed out. “I don’t want to put him in unnecessary danger.”_

  
  


“ _Like this isn’t dangerous.” Aleu said, cocking a brow._

  
  


_Before The Ninja could reply, Julius chimed in. “Please let me come with! I don’t have anything else to do! Please!”_

  
  


“ _Fine….” The Ninja sighed in defeat. “But...you need to stick close to me, all right?”_

  
  


“ _Yes Ninja.” Julius said, unable to hide his grin. He didn’t want to say anything out loud but he_ _ **hated**_ _his job. He really wanted to do exciting things like The Ninja, not evacuate civilians. Maybe this was his chance to be something more!_

  
  


_Aleu smiled to herself, thinking the exact same thing. She knew being alongside The Ninja in battle was his true destiny._

  
  


_The two walked to the east side of Norrisville, with Aleu following up above. Once they arrived they saw The Sorcerer causing havoc and turning people into stanks._

  
  


“ _Julius, you stay behind these barrels, got it?” He asked seriously._

  
  


_Julius folded his ears and tail down sadly. “But I thought...”  
_

“ _Julius..please...just stay behind the barrels.” The Ninja commanded again._

 

_Julius sighed and hid behind the barrels as The Ninja fought The Sorcerer. Aleu sighed too. This isn't how she pictured this would go at all._ _Her ears perked up at the sound of a low growl. Aleu quickly turned her head and saw the cheetah stank about to pounce Julius from behind._ _  
  
_ _"Julius, behind you!" Aleu barked, getting the attention of The Ninja and The Sorcerer._ _  
  
_ _The Ninja was about to run over and save him, but The Sorcerer struck from behind. He knew he couldn't leave the battle, and hoped Julius would be all right._ _  
  
_ _Julius ran and the stank chased after him. He tripped, giving the stank an advantage. She lunged, but Julius kicked her stomach. She let out a roar of pain as she stumbled down. Julius smirked. While he was distracted, the stank grabbed his tail with her paw._ _  
  
_ _Julius hissed and his claws involuntarily extended. He batted his paws and scratched her face. She hissed and lunged again. He ducked and she leapt over him. When she realized she didn't catch Julius she pounced again, and this time she pinned him. Julius clawed her face again. This time she lunged for his throat, but he rolled out from under her paws._

 

_The two kept up their battle for a while: With Julius clawing and hissing, and the stank lunging and roaring. One of the times Julius clawed, he clawed her scarf, destanking her._

 

_For a quick second The Ninja looked over, surprised Julius beat her, before focusing again on his battle with The Sorcerer._

 

_Julius and Aleu both hoped this would prove something to him, but..._

 

“ _Take her to the shelter!” The Ninja commanded, as he leapt out of the way of one of The Sorcerer's attacks._

 

_Julius sighed. “Yes, Ninja.”, and lead her to the shelter._

  
  


_Aleu sighed too. This was going to be harder than she thought._

  
  


…..

  
  


The woman noticed him rubbing his arm and cringed. “Oh, sorry.”

  
  


“It’s fine.” Julius said. “You can’t control your monster form. No one can. I know I couldn’t.”

  
  


The woman’s eyes widened. “You’ve been turned into a monster before?” She asked in shock.

  
  


“Yeah.” Julius said, sounding a bit upset by the memory, and he wrung his tail out again. All he knew about the experience was what Alice told him afterwards and what the news said the next day: **Julius, A local cat what turned into a monster by The Sorcerer and caused havoc throughout the village while chasing young Alice Davis, 9. Fortunately she was not harmed, and the cat monster was defeated.** The thought of that day  still made Julius shudder.

  
  


The two made it to the shelter.

  
  


“Thank you.” The woman said, petting his head.

  
  


“No problem.” Julius said, purring. “Just doing my job.”

  
  


“Julius!”

  
  


“Hey Alice!” Julius greeted.

  
  


“I see you’re still bringing people to the shelter, hm?” Alice asked with a giggle.

  
  


“Yeah..I guess it kind of became my job…” Julius said nervously, hoping she wouldn’t connect the face he, Plop Plop, Oswald,Ortensia, and The Messenger all brought people to the shelter.

  
  


“That’s really brave of you.” Alice said with a small smile. “I’m just a wimp who goes to the shelter whenever I hear The Sorcerer’s on his way.”

  
  


Julius frowned, his tone was sad. “You’re not a wimp, Alice…”

  
  


“But, I run away.” She said, pouting.

  
  


“If anything that makes you smart.” Julius said. “You know it would be more dangerous to stay, wouldn’t it?”

  
  


“I guess so..” She looked away, biting her lip. “...I kind of wish you were smart, then…”

  
  


“What?”

  
  


She looked back. “You’re my best friend, you don’t think I worry about you every time The Sorcerer attacks? I know I can’t convince you to stay in the shelter, you always want to go out and help! I’m sorry, but...I’m scared whenever you go out there…”

  
  


Julius hugged her tightly and she hugged back just as tight and started to cry, then so did Julius. “Alice, I promise I’ll be fine.”

  
  


“Y-you don’t know that f-for sure...y-you..you..you could..you..you could..d-die.”

  
  


Julius tensed up a bit. He knew she was right, but he had been trying to block that possibility out of his mind the whole time.

  
  


“I want to help people…” Julius said. Even though this was true, this wasn’t exactly the way he wanted to help people. He wanted to stop stanks, and if he could become braver, help stop The Sorcerer. He doubted the latter would ever happen though.

  
  


“I’m guessing this is your way to get away from being stuck as a town messenger, huh?” Alice asked, trying to lighten the mood.

“Yeah..” Julius said, not pulling away. “Listen...I have to go.”

  
  


“Okay…” Alice said hesitantly, letting him go. “Be safe.”

  
  


“I will…” Julius said before going off. _I hate having to lie to her! I want to tell her, but...It doesn’t feel safe...Maybe I should tell her...next time…_

  
  


…..

  
  


The Sorcerer and The Ninja were in an intense battle. The Sorcerer shot stank and The Ninja dodged.

  
  


“You should give up now, Ninja!” The Sorcerer spat. The Ninja didn’t give up and lunged with his sword, cutting his cheek open. Blood trickled out and The Sorcerer hissed. “I’ll do much worse than that to you!”

  
  


He backhand slapped The Ninja’s face. The Ninja punched back.

  
  


“Tired yet?” The Sorcerer teased.

“Far from it.” The Ninja said, lunging at him again, grabbing a hold of his neck and putting him in a choke hold. The Sorcerer choked and gagged, trying to get The Ninja off his neck. He put his sword to the jugular. Managing to muster up some stank, The Sorcerer shot it in his face. The Ninja was temporarily blinded and fell off, his sword beside him.

  
  


The Sorcerer laughed and raised his hands into the air, getting ready for his next attack. The Ninja thought quickly and kicked his legs, causing him to stumble and fall. He got onto his hands and knees and panted. “This isn’t over, Ninja!”

  
  


“It never is…” The Ninja said.

  
  


The Sorcerer escaped in a cloud of stank. He was making his way back to the cave to report his failure to The Sorceress, when he came across a small baby blue egg with dark brown spots.

  
  


“A raven egg?” The Sorcerer held it up to the light to examine it. It was indeed a robin egg. Before he got turned into The Sorcerer, he loved birds and could name any kind of egg right away. Deep down he still really liked birds, so he decided to take the egg with him back to the cave.

 

On the way he gathered some things to keep the egg warm, some grass, straw, paper, and even a ribbon. He arranged them into a nest and put the egg in. “Hm...it doesn't seem like enough to keep it warm..”

 

The Sorcerer gathered some stank and surrounded the egg with it. The shell turned from it's light blue to an orangish-yellow. For a moment he was worried he'd killed the bird, but the power of the stank made it hatch.

 

Unlike a baby raven, this bird already had her black feathers. Also unlike a baby raven it flew up in a blaze of fire, and then landed in front of The Sorcerer. As The Sorcerer examined her, he noticed her face looked like a white mask with blue marks around the eyes, red marks around the nose, and almost teeth like things on the bottom. Outlining her mask face were red feathers. Overall her feathers were messy and ruffled.

 

She cawed and looked up at The Sorcerer.

 

“...You're an odd little bird.” The Sorcerer said, petting her. She let out a sound akin to that of a purr. “I like you.”

 

He picked up the bird, making her purr more. The Sorcerer's rat let out a jealous squeak. He turned to her and said, “Don't be jealous, you're still important too,...but she...she can help take down The Ninja!”

 

The rat puffed out her chest and threw some kicks and punches into the air to prove her worth. She tripped on landed on her back on The Sorcerer's shoulder. The Sorcerer and The raven both laughed at her, causing her to squeak angrily.

 

“Well, girl, I know something you can help with.” The Sorcerer said, causing her to perk up. “This bird has been turned powerful by my stank, and thus I don't think I can call her a raven anymore. She needs a new name..something powerful...something to spread fear when the villager's shout her name!”

The rat thought for a moment and let out a small squeak.

 

“Tengu, hm?” The Sorcerer thought for a moment. After considering it, a wicked grin formed on his face. “Yes! It's perfect! The Tengu will be as feared as me!”

 

The Tengu innocently pecked The Sorcerer's face then let out a cute little caw.

 

“Well..maybe in a few years....”

 

…...............

In The Land of Shadows, The Sorceress and The Peddler had formed a friendship. They figured since they were going to be in each others' company for such a long time, they should at least try to get along. I Spy had become a common pass time for them, while they waited for The Sorcerer to give news. The Peddler was still not okay with them wanting to take over Norrisville, but he loved seeing The Sorceress smile when she got good news. He was afraid that one day she'd escape, not only for Norrisville's sake, but because he'd lose the first friend he had in years. He sure as heck didn't consider Blurryface his friend. She was little a warren, or a head nurse who had complete control over her patients by using fear. The Sorceress, while intimidating was different. She actually had a side to her that The Peddler didn't just like, he loved.

 

“I spy with my fine eye something...” The Sorceress though for a moment as she looked around the cave. “Something...huge and white.”

 

“Hm, huge and white, huge and white..” The Peddler mumbled to himself as he looked around the cave. His eyes landed on the bone pile. “Um..the pile of bones that keeps the monster away from us?”  
  


“Yes, you're getting better at this.” The Sorceress said. “But, I am still the master, and I can beat you.”

 

 _Oh, I'll get her this time!_ The Peddler thought, smirking to himself. He quickly hid his smirk and said, “I spy with my little eye something...beautiful...”

 

“Beautiful?” The Sorceress seemed surprised. “I'm sure we both have different definitions of 'beautiful' and I don't see anything here that you'd find beautiful.”

 

“Really? Keep looking.” The Peddler said. The Sorceress looked around some more.

 

“I don't see anything.” She said.

 

“Then guess.”

 

She sighed and rolled her eyes slightly. “The...rocks?”

“No.”

 

“The...light outside the cave?”

 

“Try again.”

 

“Blurryface!”

 

“Blurryface?” The Peddler was confused. Then he looked up. “O-oh, h-h-hello B-blurryface!”

 

“Heeeeeelllllooooo, there, Peeeeeeedddlleeer!” She giggled. “I'm here to cheeeeeeeeck on yooooou.”

 

The Peddler gulped and tensed up. The Sorceress noticed and wanted to calm him down, and gently rested her hand on his leg. That made him tense up for different reasons.

 

“I seeeeeeeee The Sorceress is stiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiillllllll hanging around, hmmmm?” Blurryface chuckled. “I'm suuuuuuurrrrprriiiiiised, she's not booooooooooooooored of yoooooooooooou,yeeeeeeet.”

 

The Peddler frowned. _She has a point...why isn't The Sorceress bored of me yet? She seems so annoyed with me..why didn't she leave? Oh right...Because I'm the only way she can contact The Sorcerer. That's all I'm good for, aren't I?_ “I-I..I'm her way to t-talk to Th-The..The Sorcerer...”

 

Blurryface smirked. “I seeeeeeee, I seeeeeeeeeeeeeee. Weeeeeeellllll, I should haaaaaaaaaaave knoooooooooooooown. Whhhhhhhhhhhhhyyyyyyyyyy wooooooooouuuuuld aaaaaannnnyone be your friiiiiiiiieeeeeeend, hm?”

 

The Peddler frowned more. _She's right...Why would anyone be my friend?_

 

“Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeelllll, I see you haven't eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesssscaaaaaped....not that you would....you're one of the only ones who doesn't even trrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry. You just aaaaaaaaaaaaaaccccepted your fate.” Blurryface chuckled. She examined the chains to make sure they weren't rusting or about to break. “Weeeeeeeell, things seem to be in oooooooooorrrrddeeeeer. I'll leave you twooooooooo to whatever you were dooooooooooing, before I arrived....Sukoshi!”

 

He flinched at his name being yelled. “Y-yes Blurryface?”

 

“Whoooooooooooooo's neeeeeeeeeeeeext for inspection?”

 

“P-princess Luna, m-madam.” Sukoshi said.

 

“Oh yeeeeeeeeeeeeees, heeeeeeeeeeeeer.....Well goodbye, Peeeeeeeeeeedddler!” Blurryface and her assistant left.

 

The Sorceress scowled at her as she left. “I hate her.”

 

“So-so..so I do I.” The Peddler said.

 

The Sorceress looked around, growling a bit under her breath. She gathered stank in her hands and faced The Peddler. He started shaking, bit his lip, and closed his eyes, anticipating to be killed. However she shot it at the shackles around his wrists. He looked up in a surprised confusion. “W-what are you doing!?”

 

“Freeing you.” The Sorceress said simply. “Blurryface is starting to get on my nerves, and I know this will peeve her!”

 

The locks started to break and The Peddler fell. He happily looked at his wrists, crying tears of joy. “I-I..I'm free...I'm free! Thank you! Thank you!” He hugged her tightly before awkwardly pulling back. The Sorceress was unsure how to react to the hug. She hadn't been hugged for a long time. Even before she was The Sorceress, she was kind of a loner. She felt like The Sorcerer was her only true friend,....and maybe The Peddler as well, but she didn't know how she really felt about him yet. Sure, he made an effort to talk to her, but he seemed to be doing it more out of fear than anything. He hated he became The Sorcerer, so why wouldn't he hate her either? But then...why would he hug her?

 

“Come on, we're going to escape together!” The Sorceress said, grabbing his wrist tightly and heading for the cave's exit.

 

"W-wait...we're escaping..t-together?" The Peddler asked in surprise.  
  
The Sorceress looked puzzled by his question. "Yes. Of course." She said flatly. "Don't you want to escape?"  
  
"Well....yes...of course...naturally,but... I think we have a rather big conflict of interest..."  
  
The Sorceress gave him another look.  
  
" _I_ was The Sorcerer's original form. Blurryface said if I ever came into contact with The Sorcerer, we'll become one again....as me."  
  
She froze and looked at him. "Then we're going to have to make a deal. You stay away fro  The Sorcerer, or I'll corrupt him again, which will re banish you here, back with the chains,Blurryface, and without me. Got it?" Her tone was even more serious than before.  
  
The Peddler gulped and nodded. "Y-yes S-sorcer-r-ress." He sputtered out.  
  
They walked past the statues as they made their way to The Larva sea. Like the floating face rocks spread throughout The Land of Shadows,  the statues had intimidating monster faces.  
  
One had crazy wild spaced out eyes. One looked fairly normal with a pupil looking down. The other had more of a design like a bee's thorax. The top of the stone formed jagged triangles. It's nose was bumpy like a pickle. It's mouth was open, showing off rounded teeth.  
  
Another one was heart shaped. Besides the shape it was anything than cute. There were spikes on either side and two on the top. It's eyes were closer, but looked crazier than the other rock's eyes.  
  
Then another looked like a thin lion face. The top of his lead looked like a scrawny mane. It's nose was curved in, and his cheeks even had whiskers. Over one of his eyes was a scar.  
  
First was The Sea of Larva. The larva were clumped together,squirming. The Sorceress cringed as she looked at them. She hated the thought of having to wade through them again. She lead the way and The Peddler followed.  
  
"Ugh! I hate these slimy things!" She hissed.  
  
"They aren't so bad." The Peddler said. He leaned down and picked up a handful, making The Sorceress cringe. They squirmed in his hands and he smiled. "In fact, they're kinda cute."  
  
The Sorceress gagged. "They're vile."  
  
The Peddler shrugged and put the larva down.  
  
They got to the wall of rock faces,similar to those by the cave. They climbed down together,trying not to slip. The rocks spat steam at them. The Peddler coughed as it filled his lungs. His coughing fit made him lose his grip. The Sorceress panicked and grabbed his hand quickly before he fell.  
  
The Peddler blushed at her touch. "Th-thank you."  
  
"You need to be more careful." The Sorceress sneered. She helped him down.  
  
Finally there was the swine field. This was The Sorceress's second least favorite part. Unlike the larva they couldn't go after you, but if you got too close they'd bite your legs or robes. That's exactly what happened. A pig head got some of the robe in  it's mouth and tugged.  
  
"Ugh! Let go!" The Sorceress yelled, pulling on her robe. It got loose, but she stumbled right into another pig who bit on her robe next. "Ugh! Darn pigs!"  
  
The Peddler let out a small chuckle as he watched her stumble around, and went over to help.   
  
He crouched down to the pig head's level and scratched under it's chin. The pig head let out happy snorts and oinks, and let go of The Sorceress's robes.  
  
"You have quite a way with animals,and I'll admit...It's kind of impressive."  
  
The Peddler blushed again. "W-well I uh..I love animals. I used to bird watch all the time. I'd say 'hello' to and pet The Ninja's squire's rabbit's head, and the village Messenger's cat. Oh! And I love to see the farmer's animals, and pet them!"  
  
"Why am I not surprised?" The Sorceress asked. The two of them finally made it out of The Swine Field.  
  
"Where to now?" The Peddler asked.  
  
"Hm..." The Sorceress looked around. All she saw were the faced rocks floating around the yellowish-orange sky. "Perhaps one of these rocks have a portal on them."  
  
The Peddler nodded. "Yeah. Why don't we each look on different rocks?"

 

“Be careful this time.” The Sorceress said, as she used her stank to lift him to a rock. “I might not be able to save you again.”

  
  


The Peddler pouted, but nodded, knowing she had a point. The rock he was on was block shaped with a lionhead in profile carved into it. With the way his mane was push back it was hard to tell where the mane ended and the head began. One hint was his small eyes, with a black zigzag going down his face, from his eyebrow to his cheek. On the edge of his snout was a half carved out nose. His mouth was open as if mid roar, with two sharp teeth, one one the top and one on the bottom.

  
  


The Sorceress went to one shaped like a cow’s head with a half open mouth and carved teeth and a tongue. There were two small eyes on either side of his face. The top of his head had two sharp horns on the top. It was attached to two other rocks. The one directly under it was an ape face. His eyes were much closer together than the cow’s eyes, and he had two small round ears on the side of his face. He had a tiny nose on his circular muzzle. Finally under the ape was a tiger stone. His eyes were a bit more spread out than the apes, but not by much, and they were thicker. Unlike the ape’s ears, his were on the top of his head. His nose stuck out on his muzzle and his mouth was slightly open showing sharp fangs. All him were dark stripes.

  
  


“See anything?” The Sorceress asked.

  
  


“No.” The Peddler sighed. The Sorceress moved him to another rock before moving herself.

  
  


The Peddler’s rock was shaped like a moon with crazy swirly eyes on either side of it’s face. Between them was a pointed triangle nose. There were teeth carved in and similar designs on it’s “torso”.

  
  


The Sorceress’ rock was almond shaped. The design was like two half Ms connected by a single line, the one on the bottom upside down.

  
  


“Now?” She asked. The Peddler sadly shook his head and The Sorceress growled in impatience.

  
  


They checked a few more rocks for portals, but failed.

  
  


“Do you think there’s a portal on one of these rocks, or should we look somewhere else?” The Peddler asked.

  
  


The Sorceress scowled and looked around. “We could try somewhere else I suppose...but-”

  
“Buuuuuuuuuuuuuut whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?” Blurryface sneered.

  
  


“Get out of here!” The Sorceress snarled, gathering stank.

  
  


“Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat are you dooooooooooooooooing with myyyyyyyyyyyy prisoner?!” Blurryface hissed.

  
  


“We're escaping.”

  
  


“The Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeellllllllll you aaaaaaaaaaaaaare!” She tried to grab The Peddler, but The Sorceress leapt between them.

  
  


Blurryface hissed again and tried to hit her with one of her tentacles. The Sorceress dodged and grabbed a hold of one of her tentacles and spun her around, then let go. “So longy, Blurryface!”

  
  


However Blurryface landed on a different rock that floated up next to them again.

  
  


"Whaaaaaaat do I looooooook like a giaaaaaaant turtle to yoooooou?" Blurryface mocked.  
  
This time The Sorceress grabbed one of her tentacles and pulled, as if she was trying to pull it off. But,hey...Maybe she was!  
  
In retaliation, Blurryface spat ink in her face. The Sorceress wiped the ink off as she came up with her next plan....jumping on her.   
  
She lunged and managed to pin Blurryface down. Blurryface panicked and  looked around for a way to attack. Nearby,within her tentacle's reach was a cube. It had two thick lines on the top and bottom, and in the middle it seemed to say POW. She gripped it and smashed it against The Sorceress' head.  
  
The Sorceress screamed in pain and gripped her head.  
  
"Sorceress!" The Peddler yelled. He looked at the large gap between his rock and hers. He gulped and breathed. The Sorceress being in pain filled him with determination and he jumped between the rocks. He landed short and was holding  onto the edge of her rock, his  eyes wide, knowing he was about to die.  
  
Blurryface grinned when she saw him dangling there helplessly. Taking advantage of The Sorceress being hurt, she went over and grabbed his lands. She smirked. "Long...Live...The  Peddler..."  
  
Blurryface suddenly let out a yelp of pain and pulled back. The Sorceress had shot stank at her. She hurried over and helped him up.  
  
"Yooooou two are utterly viiiiiiiiiiiiiiiillllleeee!" Blurryface hissed.  
  
The Sorceress punched her in the face, and she stumbled back. She leapt forward and grabbed The Peddler who screamed in fear, then went off. The Sorceress hissed and followed after her.  
  
They went through The Swine Field, and the pigs snapped at them. One got a hold of Blurryface's tentacle. "Leeeeeeet goooooo you stupid,swiiiiiiiine!"  
  
The swine snorted and bit harder. Blurryface yelped and pulled it out. She winced and looked at the bruise forming. The Peddler frowned. Even though she was kidnapping him, he felt bad for her.  
  
"Are you okay?"  
  
"Whaaaaaat?"  
  
"Are you okay?" The Peddler repeated, his tone full of worry.  
  
"Yeeeeees, of coooooorse...Buuuuuuut why  do yooooooou care?"  
  
"Because you're hurt." He said,frowning.  
  
"Yeeeees, but I'm your wooooooorst nightmaaaaaare. Why would you caaaare about meeee?"  
  
"I  know, but you don't deserve to be hurt." He said. "No one does. Ever. No matter what."  
  
The Sorceress was right behind them and Blurryface booked it. Luckily for her, The Sorceress tripped when a hog gripped her robe.  
  
Blurryface couldn't stop wincing as she climbed the wall of faces, her tentacle ached badly.  
  
"Want me to hold it for you, so you don't put pressure on it?"  
  
Blurryface looked offended he'd dare ask to help her. "Nooooo I don't truuuuuuust yooooou!"  
  
"I understand." The Peddler replied. "Why would you? You /are/ in the middle of kidnapping me after all."  
  
"Exactly!" She hissed, as she climbed up, trying to hide her pain.  
  
The Sorceress went after them, panting tiredly. Out of the wide open mouth of a rock shaped like a monster with big eyes, that seemed to be holding a cookie with three fingers, shot out yellow tentacles. They had tiny sharp  toothed mouths on the end. They gripped her,holding her in place, wrapping around and squeezing her. Despite her arms being held together she managed to create some stank to shoot at it. It recoiled and The Sorceress went after them again.  
  
Next was The Sea of Larva. They seemed to think Blurryface's tentacles were one of them, and tried to include it in their pile.  
  
"As tasty as these things are they sure are clingy." Blurryface remarked, pulling some off. She yelped as they moved to the hurt one.

  
  


“Please let me help you.” The Peddler said, reaching for her tentacle again. She pulled back.

  
  


“Nooooooooooooooo! I'm not stuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuupid!” She snarled. “I'm not giving yooooooooooooooou a weakened spooooooooooooooot on me!”

  
  


She managed to get them off and kept going. The ones she flung off hit The Sorceress's face. She growled and and pushed them off.

  
  


Blurryface was glad they were close to the cave, knowing soon she could tend to her injury. She waited for The Sorceress, and grinned evilly. “Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeellooooooooooooo Sorcerereeeeeeeeess!”

  
  


The Sorceress gathered some stank,but Blurryface put new chains on The Peddler. “Ooooooooh, Sorceress, you're luuuuuuuuuuuuuucky, you're not under my juuuuuuuuuuuuurisdiction. Buuuuuuuuuuut I can't risk you interfering with my priiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiisoner again! Sooooooooo these chaaaaaaaaains are only breakable by haaaaaaaaaaaaaand of Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinja. Because I knoooooooow you can't stand Ninjaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaas. If one even caaaaaaaaaaaaaame here, you couldn't let them anywhere neeeeeeeeaaaaaaar here, I know thiiiiiiiiiiis. If one does cooooooooooome, I want to see you fiiiiiiiiiight them off and reeeeeeeeaaaaaaaallllliiiiizzeeee your mistake. Oooooooor, they will try to kiiiiiill you and you'd have to chooooooooose between your life or hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis.”

  
  


The Sorceress had enough of Blurryface. She found her injured tentacle and squeezed it tightly, causing her to scream in pain.

  
  


“No, don't hurt her!” The Peddler begged. The Sorceress ignored him and started twisting her tentacle. “Stop! No! Please! Stop!”

  
  


Blurryface back hand smacked The Sorceress, who only tightened her grip.

  
  


The Sorceress had Blurryface pinned down at this point and was choking her, but she made sure to keep her knee on her injured tentacle.

  
  


“Sorceress!” The Peddler pleaded. “Stop!”

  
  


She didn’t.

  
  


“Thiiiiiiiiiiings seem to have come to a saaaaaaaaaaaad ending, haven’t theeeeey? I wish...I wiiiish I could a child oooooooooooocne more. Thiiiiiiiiiiings didn’t maaaaaaaaaaaaatttteer back then….and I ceeeeeeertaintly wouldn’t be in thiiiiiiiiiiiis siiiiiiiiiiiiituation….” Blurryface gasped out. Then slowly her eyes shut and she became stiff.

  
  


The Peddler looked on, stunned. “Y-Y-You….You...You…”

  
  


“I finally got her to stop bugging us.” The Sorceress chuckled.

  
  


“B-but...But...You killed her!” The Peddler yelled, tears filling his eyes,

  
  


“Yes and?” The Sorceress was confused by his reaction.

  
  


“Y-you can’t j-just take away s-someone’s l-life like that!” He was angry now, but tears were still burning his eyes.

  
  


The Sorceress was stunned. “Are you kidding me!? You actually _wanted_ her to live!?”

  
  


“I didn’t want you to kill her!”

  
  


“Blurryface! Blurryface!” Sukoshi called into the cave causing an echo.

  
  


The Peddler glared at The Sorceress, and it genuinely made her scared. She’d never seen him glare, let alone at her or so intense.

  
  


“Blurryface!” Sukoshi called. “We have an appointment with Rasputin and that bat of his! Blurryface?”

  
  


He froze when he came across her body. “B-blurryface?” Sukoshi scurried over. “Blurryface...come one...this isn’t funny...we..we have to check on...Blurryface! Please get up! Blurryface! N-no..No! W-what happened!? Who did this!?”

  
  


The Peddler glared at The Sorceress again, silently telling her to admit it. The Sorceress wasn’t going to be pushed over into feeling remorse for killing that monster, but she’d tell him.

  
  


“I did!” The Sorceress said proudly. Sukoshi gasped and backed up in fear, shaking heavily. “We won’t have to deal with that monster anymore! Neither will you.”

  
  


“B-b-but...s-she...I...she was my...she was like a mother to me!” Sukoshi cried. “I’m small and defenseless! Her protecting me is the only reason I haven’t been killed yet, and now I’m bound to!”

  
  


The Sorceress shook away any remorse she felt and kept going. “Well she wasn’t very motherly, now was she!? You were her little errand boy!”

  
  


“Sorceress, stop!” The Peddler yelled.

  
  


“And you!” The Sorceress yelled, turning around and pointing a finger in his face. “You and I have been talking about how much we **hate** Blurryface, yet now that she’s dead you act like you loved her or something!”

  
  


“No! I just don’t approve of murder!” He yelled.

  
  


“Ugh! Why do I even stick around with you!?” As if to answer her question, the orbs around her neck started to glow. She tried to hide the anger in her voice and softened her tone. “Yes, Sorcerer? Have you caught The Ninja?”

  
  


“ _ **No, but I have a plan!”**_

  
  


“Why don’t you tell me?” The Sorceress asked, dying to be distracted from her situation with The Peddler.

  
  


“ _ **I found a raven’s egg and decided to take it with him. My stank got in contact with it, and when the bird hatched it seemed to have fire powers. So I’m thinking of raising it to destroy The Ninja!”**_

  
  


The Sorceress smiled. “Yes! It’s perfect! Just remember what you promised…”

  
  


“ _ **Yes my dear, of course. I’ll keep his heart nice and safe for you.”**_

  
  


“Thank you.” The Sorceress said, smiling lightly at the sentiment.

  
  


“ _ **In the meantime I’ll try to find other ways to destroy The Ninja.”**_

  
  


“Good.” The Sorceress said. “I want to get out of here as soon as I can.”

She and The Peddler glared at each other.

……..

  
  


“Now it’s time to train you.” The Sorcerer said, picking up the bird. The bird cawed and pecked his hand. “You have a sharp beak...It's perfect for poking out eyes!”

 

He set her down. “Now practice pecking!”

 

The Tengu pecked many things, rocks,foots, rats (The rat in question did not approve), and her feathers.

 

“Now we should work on your fire power.” The Sorcerer said. The Tengu understood and lit herself on fire. “Excellent!”

 

The Tengu flew around, flashing a bright red and orange.

 

“Yes! Yes!” The Sorcerer cheered. “She's perfect, isn't she, girl!?”

 

The rat out a begrudging squeak, still jealous of her.

 

The Tengu landed in front of The Sorcerer and cawed.

 

“Yes...perfect..”

 

…....

 

_**1 Year Later....** _

 

The Tengu stood tall and proud in front of The Sorcerer. The Sorcerer grinned. “You are ready!”

 

He circled around her. “Nice! Very, nice! You have the same power as I do...What is your destiny!?”

 

The Tengu cawed seriously.

 

“Yes, what have I taught you?”

 

She cawed again.

 

“And. What. Must. You. Do!”

 

The Tengu cawed multiple times in reply.

 

“Good...Now go!” The Sorcerer said, and The Tengu flew off into Norrisville.

 

…........

 

The Ninja, Aleu,Oswald,Julius, Ortensia, The Messenger, and Plop Plop were doing their daily patrol, looking for any sign of The Sorcerer. He usually attacked on a daily basis, but they didn't see any sign of him yet.

 

“Where could he be?” The Ninja grumbled. “He has to be around here somewhere....”

 

“Maybe he gave up?” Plop Plop suggested.

 

The Ninja let out a dry laugh. “You obviously don't know The Sorcerer, Plop Plop. He'll stop at nothing to kill me! The Sorcerer is still mad at me for banishing his companion and he...”

 

As The Ninja kept going Aleu noticed a giant black bird flying through the sky. “Uh...Ninja?”

 

“The power of The Chaos Pearls has corrupted him. There's no goodness inside anymore. The Sorcerer is just evil inside and out! He-”

 

“Ninja..” Aleu repeated worriedly, her ears folding back.

 

“That is why I have vowed to protect Norrisville with my life. To honor the ultimate sacrifice my brothers made, I-”

 

“Ninja! Look up!” Aleu barked.

 

The Ninja finally looked up and noticed the giant demon bird flying overhead. The Ninja's eyes widened and he chased The Tengu.   
  
"What is that?" Ortensia asked nervously, pointing at her.  
  
"I think it's a bird." Plop Plop said. Ortensia gave him a look.  
  
"Did that bird just change color?" Oswald asked as The Tengu became engulfed in flames.  
  
"I think it's on fire." Julius said as he twisted his tail in his paws.  
  
The Ninja leapt on top of a building, his sword out and pointed at her.  
  
She cawed at lunged at The Ninja. He dodged and jabbed his sword in her side,but it slid off as she flew past.  
  
The Ninja was surprised, but got overly it quickly and leapt from building to building, house to house, vendor cart to vendor cart, trying to keep up. He flipped through the air and landed on a small house's roof.  
  
The Tengu snarled and flew forward, talons out. The Ninja ducked out of the way and punched her stomach. It had no effect.  
  
The Ninja let out a frustrated growl and swung his sword at her neck. No blood,no cut,nothing.  
  
The Ninja didn't understand why The Tengu was invincible. Knowing he couldn't  let Norrisville down, The Ninja decided to keep trying and not give up until he defeated her, like his promise of stopping The Sorcerer.  
  
The Tengu flew off again, and The Ninja followed.  
  
 _What is this thing?_  
  
"Julius!" Alice yelled, running over. "W-what is that thing!?"  
  
"I-I don't know b-but I'm scared." He replied, wringing his tail.

 

“Is that why you're not taking people to the shelter?” Alice asked.

 

Everyone froze. They all forgot about their job. Sure through these past years they'd gotten used to the fact a giant green sorcerer terrorized the village on a daily basis, but this...this bird-thing was new to them. All these thoughts bounced through their heads. _What is this bird?_ _Did The Sorcerer make it? Is it actually The Sorcerer in disguise? Did the power balls make it?_

 

“O-oh, we're...I-I mean I'm still taking people to the s-shelter.” Julius explained nervously, half from lying to Alice and half from The Tengu. “I-I think I'll take you there first...Come on!”

 

He grabbed her hand and hurried to the shelter.

 

“Are you okay?” Alice asked.

 

“Y-yes, perfectly fine.” Julius said, hurrying his pace.

 

_It must be that darn cat and village messenger again! Ugh! Well at least we're away from them for a while...Maybe today I can convince him to stay with me at the shelter._

 

Julius’s paw began to sweat. _This is getting harder to hide….I know I promised to tell her, but...What if The Ninja gets mad? What if Aleu was the last member of the family he’d let join? What if...he’d stop trusting me?_

  
  


_Poor thing._ Alice thought. _Scared to death about having to deal with that messenger and his sister again. Maybe I can convince him to live with me instead._

  
  


“Hey Julius?”

  
  


“Yeah?”

  
  


“Do you wanna...live with me?”

  
  


“W-what?”

  
  


“I was just wondering. Because they’re forcing you into the messenger lifestyle, aren’t they? Don’t you want some freedom?”

  
  


“Oh. No no no! They’re not forcing me into it.” Julius lied quickly, quickly enough for Alice to notice. “I _want_ to learn, to see if I like it. Who knows, it could be more of my forte than fighting.”

  
  


He let out a small chuckle, hoping to lighten the mood. Alice bit her lip and frowned slightly.  “Okay...if you’re really sure about that…”

  
  


“I am, I am.” Julius said quickly. He was relieved they were very close to the shelter, he didn’t want to talk about this anymore.

  
  


When they made it, Alice gripped his paw tightly. “Please, Julius, can you stay with me...Please?”

  
  


“I..I can’t.” Julius said, frowning and wringing his tail. “I have to bring other people to the shelter…”

  
  


“Can I come with?” Alice asked.

  
  


Julius hesitated. “....sure…J-just stick close”

  
  


_What am I doing!? I’m gonna get caught!_

  
  


It was too late for Julius to change his mind, so he grabbed Alice’s hand and  headed back to the village center.

  
  


……..

The Ninja was still having trouble fighting The Tengu, unable to find her weak spot. It was as if she was invincible.

  
  


_There has to be a way to beat her. There’s no way she’s unstoppable._

  
  


He winced at The Tengu’s talons clawed his side, tearing the suit lightly. Some blood trickled down his side and he winced, holding onto it. The Tengu then dive bombed, but The Ninja ducked out of the way quickly, making his side sting more. He whacked her beak with his sword. No effect.

  
  


“Well, well, well, Ninja. It looks like you’ve met my new pet.” Said The Sorcerer. He was wearing his usual white robe and hat, but on his side was something new. As a memento he kept the raven’s egg. “This is The Tengu! She was created from my power, and she's unstoppable!”

 

The Ninja attacked again, not leaving a mark on the bird. He turned around and tried to attack again, but missed.  
  
"You have no chance against her!" The Sorcerer laughed. "She will end you, Ninja!"  
  
"Ninja, above you!" Aleu barked.  
  
The Ninja leapt out of the way before The Tengu struck him with her claws.  
  
"To your left!"  
  
"To your right!"  
  
"Behind you!"  
  
The Sorcerer scowled. He wasn't going to let a wolf dog get in his way. He sensed a lot of worry and anxiety from her. The Sorcerer smirked.  
  
 _Perfect_  
  
The Sorcerer gathered stank, and before The Ninja could react, shot it at Aleu.  
  
She changed in a giant wolf stank. Her fur became an even darker gray, her snout extended, always slightly open with various razor sharp teeth. Her paws held three sharp claws. Her eyes were shining like she was having a vision. Overall she'd become more shaggy and wolf looking.  
  
The Ninja hurried over to destank her, but was hit by The Tengu's wing, and fell down.  
  
"There's no way you can fight her _and_ The Tengu!"  
  
The Ninja winced in sadness, knowing this was true.  
  
Julius and Alice returned to The Village Center, ready to help lead people to The Shelter. They froze when they saw stanked Aleu striking people and buildings with her huge paws.   
  
When Julius saw The Ninja struggling to fight both her and The Tengu, he felt an adrenaline rush, and hurried over.  
  
"Julius! Wait!" Alice yelled after him, putting her hand out.  
  
Julius bite Aleu's tail, and she howled in pain. Everyone looked over.  
  
"Julius, what are you doing!?" The Ninja yelled, dodging a peck from The Tengu's beak.  
  
Julius ignored him and clawed her side while hissing. The Ninja rushed over and tackled Julius out of the way.  
  
The Ninja glared down at the cat pinned below him, and said sternly, "Julius, this isn't safe! Go home!"  
  
"Attack!" The Sorcerer commanded. Both Aleu and The Tengu lunged for The Ninja. The Ninja swung his sword at The Tengu, leaving himself vulnerable from an attack from Aleu.  
  
Julius ignored his orders and lunged towards Aleu, biting down on her neck, hard. Aleu let out a howl of pain and tried to shake him off. He fell to the ground, and Aleu towered over him. She was about to strike him, but she suddenly yelped. She turned around to see Alice gripping her tail and snarled at her. She lunged, trying to bite her. Julius gripped her tail this time and bit it.

 

Aleu turned again to face Julius, but when she did, Alice attacked from behind.

They worked together as a tag team to fight Aleu. One of them attacked, and whenever she turned around to fight the one who hit her, the other attacked. If she wasn’t the stank in question at the moment, Aleu would have been proud of Julius’s fighting skills.

  
  


As much as The First Ninja wanted to put an end to it, he was too busy fighting off The Tengu.

  
  


Julius hissed and lunged again, managing to bite Aleu on the snout. She snarled and shook her head until he fell on the ground. Alice then gripped and pulled her tail, causing her to growl harsher.

  
  


Julius got ready to attack again. He arched his back and jumped, claws extended, breaking the skin.

  
  


The Tengu had The Ninja pinned down and was pecking at his face. The Ninja closed his eyes tightly and kicked her to no avail. Panicking he did the first thing he thought of...He grabbed her feathers. To his surprise, The Tengu cawed in pain and backed up. In retaliation she burst into flames.

  
  


Alice and Julius decided to both attack Aleu at once this time, but she dodged and tried to attack another building. Julius grabbed her tail and pulled her back, only angering her more. When she went for Julius, Alice hit her leg, and when she went for Alice, Julius hit her leg.

  
The Ninja ducked as The Tengu shot fire at him. Then he sliced at her with his sword, only getting her feathers. She cawed again in pain, and The Ninja realized they were her weak spot. He aimed his attacks to her feathers, and managed to weaken her.

  
  


The Tengu was limping at this point and letting out pained caws. The Ninja jumped forward and gripped her feathers with both hands and ripped them out. She cawed again and her knees buckled, she was becoming weaker. He thrust her with his shoulder and she stumbled back to into The Sorcerer.

  
  


The egg on his side glowed a bright orange-yellow, and it engulfed The Tengu, and she vanished. The egg on The Sorcerer's side had become whole again and held The Tengu within it.

  
  


At the same time a feather came contact with The Ninja's suit. Red light shined all around the ninja. Everyone watched in curiously. The Ninja fell on his bottom and rubbed his head. He was groggy and slightly out of it. Plop Plop and Oswald rushed over to help him up.

  
  


The Sorcerer held the egg in his hand and scowled. He gave The Ninja a deathly glare. Fearing he'd use The Tengu again, he hurried over to get the egg.

  
  


He pulled out his sword and swung at The Sorcerer, who hissed and fought back. He didn't want to surrender his new weapon. The Ninja slashed at his knees, causing them to buckle. He threw his headband out, trying to get the egg, but he tripped over Aleu. His headband whacked the egg and sent it flying.

  
  


“I'll get it!” Julius called, putting his paws in the air. It bounced off his head. “Ow!”

  
  


He rubbed his head and Alice put her arm around him. “Are you okay?”

  
  


“Y-yeah, I'm fine, Alice.” Julius said still rubbing his head.

  
  


The egg ricocheted off buildings and got caught in the eye of a carp statue. The Sorcerer and The Ninja both made a mad dash for it, and crashed into each other. The Ninja kneed his face, making him bleed. Then he took out his sword and got a few slashes on him.

  
  


"I'll get you Ninja..." He said through his teeth. He escaped in a cloud of stank.  
  
"Ninja, are you okay?" Plop Plop asked nervously to his shaky friend.  
  
"Y-yeah..I'm all right." He said. "I-I think she attacked me.."  
  
"Come on, lets get you home." Plop Plop said, leading the way.

  
  


“What about the egg?” Oswald asked.

  
  


“W-we can..c-come back...for it.” The Ninja wheezed out.  
  
"Julius!" The Messenger said. Julius and Alice looked over. "Come on, you have to practice the mail route again."  
  
Julius glanced over at Alice who looked hesitant and pouty. She was biting her lip slightly.  
  
He gave a small wave. "Bye."  
  
"Bye." Alice said softly.  
  
Everyone had been so preoccupied with The Ninja to notice Aleu, who had just gotten out of her post-stank haze. She staggered up and looked around, dazed. "Ugh...Wh-what happened?"  
  
"Why, you were turned into a monster."  
  
Aleu looked down to see Muru. "I-I did?"  
  
"Mhm." Muru said, scratching behind one of his ears, then cleaning his paws. "The Sorcerer used your worry to turn you into a monster."  
  
Aleu looked startled. "D-did...did I...Did I hurt anyone?"  
  
"No." Muru said simply, scratching his ear again. "But, you, Julius,and Alice, sure went at it."  
  
"I-I fought them!?" Aleu asked in shock.  
  
"Yes." Muru said. "But, everyone's all right."  
  
Aleu felt guilt rush through her. _How will they be able to trust me again after this?_

  
  


Aleu headed back to her pack's grounds. Matsu, who was dragging a caribou from the hunt, was surprised to see her.

  
  


“You're here early.” Matsu said.

  
  


“Yeah...” Aleu said uncomfortably, avoiding eye contact. “Things....came up...and I'm kind of tired.”

  
  


“Oh. Are you hungry?” Matsu asked, offering her some of the caribou.

  
  


“No..I-I'm fine.” Aleu said. “I just want to rest...”

  
  


Matsu frowned and walked over. “Are you okay?”

  
  


“I'm fine.” Aleu lied.

  
  


“You seem sad.” Matsu said.

  
  


“I-I'm just thinking about home again.”

  
  


“Oh.” She walked over and nuzzled Aleu gently. “I miss home too.”

  
  


Aleu smiled lightly and her ears folded back to Matsu's touch. Matsu was feeling the exact same thing.

  
  


“I think you should rest.” Matsu said, pulling back. She yawned. “Maybe I should too.”

  
  


“All right.” Aleu said, yawing as well, realizing she actually was tired. “Lets go..”

  
  


They both entered the cave and laid down a few inches from each other. Aleu fell asleep instantly and started having a dream. One that for once wasn't a vision:

  
  


………

  
  


_It started with her eyes flashing like when she had a vision, which was unusual since The Ninja was two feet in front of her. That wasn’t the weird part, the weird part was the vision was of them. She looked around but couldn’t see any immediate danger._

  
  


“ _Ninja!” Aleu started, but stopped short when she noticed how snarly her voice was. Suddenly her back arched, and her claws extended. Ears folded back, teeth became sharp, and saliva bubbled around her mouth. She’d turned feral._

  
  


_However she didn’t attack The Ninja, she headed for two others behind him….Julius and Alice. She licked her jowls in hunger and lunged forward. She took down Julius first. Under her, her squirmed trying to get free. Aleu smirked and sunk her teeth into his neck, causing him to choke. His arms, legs, and tail flailed, before his eyes rolled up and he became limp._

 

_Aleu shifted her attention to Alice, who gulped in fear. Aleu snarled before pouncing and pinning her. Alice tried to fight back by gripping and twisting her fur. While The Tengu's weakness was her feathers, Aleu's was not her fur. She only got more annoyed and lunged for her neck, and bit down. Like Julius, she flailed around a bit before dying._

 

_Aleu backed away and licked the blood off of her mouth, enjoying the taste. Above The Tengu was circling like a vulture. She landed next to Julius and started pecking at his corpse, then began to eat it._

 

_As much as Aleu wanted to taste her blood, she knew she stood no chance against The Tengu and moved on. Next she spotted Ortensia,sobbing over her dead brother. She wasn't paying attention and was completely defenseless. She was perfect._

 

_She pinned her down easily, but this time she choked her with her paws. Ortensia was fighter, she tried to claw back, but she was no chance against the feral wolf dog._ _Soon her hissing,clawing, and flailing slowed down before stopping._ _  
  
_ _When The Messenger and Oswald saw what happened to their respective daughter and mate, they were mad to say the least._ _  
  
_ _They both attacked her at once, like how Alice and Julius fought together._ _  
  
_ _Aleu got a strong grip on Oswald's ear and pulled it, tasting the blood that rushed into her mouth. Oswald winced intensely, gritting his teeth, trying not to scream or cry. He didn't want his new enemy to see his vulnerable side._ _  
  
_ _She was once the Aleu that he wouldn't be afraid of crying or showing pain in front of her. This Aleu was different._ _  
  
_ _The Messenger noticed and grabbed Aleu from behind, putting her in a choke hold. She struggled and growled._ _  
  
_ _Oswald's ear slipped out. The skin was broken and bloody._ _  
  
_ _Using her back paw, Aleu kicked The Messenger's knee, making it buckle slightly._ _  
  
_ _Oswald attended to his ear, holding it lightly when he looked up and saw Aleu biting The Messenger's face._ _  
  
_ _Having already lost his mate and his best friend,he wasn't ready to lose his father-in-law._ _  
  
_ _He took a running start and jumped on Aleu's back._ _He gripped her neck and tried to choke her. She managed to grab his leg in her mouth and bit it tightly. Oswald yelped in surprise and let go of her neck. He fell onto his back and looked up at Aleu in pure terror._

 

_She grinned and clawed his stomach open. The Tengu shuffled over and started eating him next._

 

_Then Aleu set her sights on The Messenger. She arched her back and let out a fierce growl as he glared her down. She jumped and he put his arms up, guarding his face. Instead she sunk her fangs into his arm and didn't let go. He punched her jaw with his free hand, but it had no effect, other than having her tighten her grip on his arm more. He pulled her tail, but she only held on more. She kicked him stomach, causing her to fall back. She grinned before biting his jugular. He coughed up blood before dying._

 

_Finally she only had one more to go....The Ninja....._

_She barked to get his attention. Slowly he turned around and watched as the wolf dog charged forward. Before she could bite him, he whacked her away. She tumbled and got up, snarling. They had eye contact, both of them glaring. Aleu tried again, mouth open, and claws in front of her, perfectly ready to take down The Ninja...or so she thought...._

 

_He grabbed her and bashed her head against the ground. Her head started bleeding and she looked up at the ninja towering over her. She couldn't move. The Ninja held his sword above her and said, “Don't worry...all dogs go to heaven,...but your wolf side might just drag you to hell....”  
_

_Then he stabbed her chest._

 

… _......_

Aleu woke up in a cold sweat, panting heavily. Matsu noticed and looked over in worry.

 

“Aleu! Aleu!..Are you all right?”

 

“Y-yeah..I-I'm fine.” She panted out, looking around. Recognizing her surroundings she slowly relaxed. Matsu nuzzled her in comfort and she nuzzled back. “Thanks...”

 

“No problem.” Matsu said, pulling back and flashing a small smile. “I just want you to be calm.”

 

“I am calm.” Aleu lied. She yawned again, even more worn out from her dream. “I just need some more rest.”

 

“I'll stay with you.” Matsu said, nuzzling her neck again.

 

Aleu smiled and returned the nuzzle. “Thank you....”

 

….......

 

The Ninja and the other finally made it home. The Ninja was exhausted and frankly ready to go to bed. Plop Plop and Oswald helped him sit on the bed, as The Messenger, Julius, and Ortensia followed behind.

 

The suit was started to feel uncomfortable and The Ninja was dying to take it off. He gripped his mask and pulled it off. The room illuminated in a reddish-orange glow, and the suit vanished off his body. All that was left was his mask, laying idly on his legs. Everyone put their hands down from shielding their eyes and looked over,puzzled.

 

“Where did your suit go?” Plop Plop asked.

 

“I...don't know..” The Ninja said, examining the mask in his hands. He hesitated before putting it back on. The red light flashed again and The Ninja was in his full suit. “W-whoa...this is strange..”

 

“No kidding.” Plop Plop said.

 

The Ninja took off the mask and the suit disappeared once again. “The Tengu must have done something to the suit.”

 

The Ninja put his fingers on his chin in thought as he paced back and forth. "But...How?"  
  
He thought back to the fight: The Tengu was near impossible to defeat. The only time he hurt her was when he pulled her feathers...  
  
"Her feathers!" The Ninja said, his eyes widening. "Her feathers were the source of her powers! And...and when my suit made contact with one,it must have formed with it, and made able to do this..."  
  
He took the mask off again.  
  
"That's it?" Plop Plop scoffed. "Laaaame!"  
  
"It's possible it could have done more." The Ninja said, looking at his hands curiously.  
  
"Are you going to test it out?" Julius asked.  
  
"Not now." The Ninja said, taking it off. "I need to rest."  
  
He hopped into bed, while Plop Plop, Oswald,Ortensia, and The Messenger went off to prepare dinner.  
  
Julius looked at the four and then back to the sleeping ninja.   
  
He walked over to the bed and snuggled into  The Ninja's chest. The Ninja opened his eyes and when he saw Julius and pulled him close. Julius purred, and they both fell asleep.  
  
.....  
  
The Sorcerer trudged back to the cave and sighed. He turned to the rat. "Life's not fair, is it girl?"  
  
The rat squeaked in agreement.  
  
He grabbed one of The Chaos Pearls and called up The Sorceress.  
  
“ _ **Sorcerer! Did The Tengu rip The Ninja to shreds!?”**_  
  
He sighed. "Alas no. It seems she's not as invincible as we thought."  
  
 _ **“.**_ _ **...How so?”**_  
  
"It seems her weak point is her feathers."  
  
 _ **“**_ _ **...I see...and The Ninja figured this out?”**_  
  
"Yes. However, Tomorrow I will strike again, and I'll take him down!"  
  
 _ **“**_ _ **You'll be able to take him down this time, I just know it!”**_  
  
"It will be the most daring thing I've ever done! The Ninja will tremble in fear before me as I end him!"  
  
 _ **“Y**_ _ **es! I can not wait to escape, my dear!”**_  
  
"Then when we meet up again, I'll hand you his heart!"  
  
The Sorceress cackled. _**“Brilliant!”**_  
  
"Goodbye my love."  
  
 _ **“**_ _ **....G-goodbye m-my l-love.”**_  
  
They hung up.  
  
The rat squeaked a question.  
  
The Sorcerer sighed in defeat. "I don't have a plan..."  
  
....   
  
The Sorceress felt her face become warm as she blushed at what The Sorcerer had said to her. _Goodbye my love! Goodbye my love!_ He _loved_ her! He really, truly did, love her! It had been something she’d hoped was true for two years, and now it was confirmed. He loved her!

  
  


Her glee was cut short when The Peddler spoke, his voice big and bold, trying (and failing) to intimidate her, “You and that monster planning another murder attempt?”

  
  


The Sorceress rolled her eyes. “You can’t just let this go, can you?”

“No!” The Peddler yelled. “I can’t just let this go! You **killed** someone in front of me!”

  
  


“After she locked you up again!” The Sorceress snapped. “I tried to **help** you, and I didn’t have to!”

  
  


“I understand that, but... **you killed someone!** ”

  
  


The Sorceress hissed. “You don’t understand at all!”

  
“No, **you** don’t understand!” The Peddler yelled, tears welling in his eyes. He sniffled. “You can’t take another person’s life like that!”  
  
  


“You never did this before, knowing full well I intend to kill The Ninja!”

 

The Peddler froze. “Well...T-that's...different...”

 

“How?” The Sorceress challenged.

“I-I...I can't judge you for that...” He finally said.

 

The Sorceress arched a brow, as if telling him to continue explaining.

 

“I-I mean.....in a way **I'm** trying to kill The Ninja.... aren't I?” He asked, nervously.

 

“As in, The Sorcerer?”

 

He nodded and looked away.   
  


“You've spent all your time telling me you and The Sorcerer aren't the same person, and you get hung up on this!? You're being a hypocrite! You-”

 

The Peddler put a hand up to stop her. “I said that because...It's something I _wish_ I could believe...But I know, The Sorcerer is a part of me...a dark part, but he's still me...I can't escape him. I don't want to be anything like him, but because he exists..I am. So I can't judge you for trying to kill The Ninja when I'm doing the same exact thing. I can't excuse you killing Blurryface though!”

 

“As I said, I was trying to help you.” The Sorceress said. “The only way I know how to help is by killing.”

 

The Peddler frowned. “Well...Killing shouldn't be your solution to everything.”

 

“Then what should?”

 

“There are many non violent ways to solve problems.” He pointed out. “Like talking through problems. Much like we're doing right now.”

 

“I see...” The Sorceress wasn't sure how she felt about that.

 

“And I guess being mean to you wasn't a good solution either.” The Peddler sighed. “I'm sorry.”

 

The Sorceress looked him in the eyes. They were genuinely sad, and tears shined in them. Why did he have to be so darn innocent!?

 

“It's fine, I suppose.” She said. She didn't apologize herself though. She thought she didn't have reason to.

 

The Peddler was no longer angry, and was once again relaxed. He paused for a moment."Want to play I Spy?"  
  
The Sorceress shrugged. "Sure. Why not?"  
  
In reality she actually missed it a lot. Not that she was going to ask to play during their fight, or even admit now that she had wanted to play it then.  
  
"I Spy with my little eye, something re-"  
  
The Sorceress put her hand up, silencing The Peddler.  
  
"Oh, right! I forgot you always go first." The Peddler said gently. "Go ahead."  
  
"No, it isn't that." The Sorceress said. "We didn't finish our last game."  
  
The Peddler furrowed his eyebrows. "I don't even remember what I spied."  
  
"Something beautiful." The Sorceress reminded.  
  
He froze. _Wow she has a good memory!_ He felt embarrassed and scared now. A year ago he had been fully prepared to tell her he loved her,but now....It wasn't even the fight that changed things. Despite his better judgment he still loved her the whole time. He examined her often and dreamed of her too. The thing that stopped him was the conversation she just had with The Sorcerer. They had called each other "My love".  
  
Sure The Sorcerer had called her "My Dear" before, but "Love" was much more serious. And she'd said it back. Her shaky tone had made it clear she meant it, and was overjoyed he loved her too.  
  
He may have not been able to escape being the same being as The Sorcerer, but she obviously saw a difference. The Sorcerer was her night in shining armor.  
The Charlie to her Sasha. The Dmitri to her Anastasia. The Kenai to her Nita.  
  
She'd only see him as a sickly sweet peddler, never in the same vain as her love.  
  
If the point had been moot a year before....It was now more than ever.  
  
"Uh..Keep guessing." The Peddler said.  
  
"The...puddles of water on the ground?" The Sorceress guessed.  
  
"Yes!" The Peddler said way too quickly and excitedly, startling The Sorceress a bit.  
  
"So that's what you find beautiful?" She asked. "...You really are weird."  
  
The Peddler forced out a small laugh. "Right, right. I'm so very weird! Ha ha ha!"  
  
The Sorceress gave him a look. "Are you okay?"  
  
"N-never better, Sorceress!" He said nervously.  
  
"Right...Well I guess it's my turn now. She looked around, tapping her chin with the tips of her fingers in thought. "Now, lets see, let's see...I Spy with my thine eye something...scary."  
  
"You get scared?" The Peddler asked in mock surprise.  
  
She let out a dry laugh. "I mean something /You/ would find scary."  
  
"A lot of things scare me." The Peddler said. "The dark, being alone,you,that big pile of bones,The Sorcerer,and death. Is it any of those?"  
  
"While I'm flattered you're scared of me, it's none of those."  
  
"Um..." He looked around. "The..creatures outside?"  
  
Small colorful, mostly thin (One was plump) bug like creatures with big eyes, twisted antenna, small bow ties, and spotted backs were gathered outside the cave. They varied in color: Blue,orange,red, green, and purple. They were muttering among themselves.  
  
"The Nerdlucks? You find them scary?"  
  
"No." The Peddler shook his head. "I find them cute, actually. I just wasn't sure what you think I fins scary. You kind of think I'm a wimp."  
  
The Sorceress smirked and pinched his cheek. "You are a wimp."  
  
"We're not cute!" The orange, plump Nerdluck argued.  
  
"Yeah we're uhhh..." The blue Nerdluck paused, eyes half closed, one finger bent in the air, drooling slightly. He snapped out of it quickly. "We're deadly and fierce!"  
  


The orange one slapped the bag of his head. “Shut it, idiot!”

 

“But Zilch, my name is Void.”

 

Zilch grumbled into his hand, annoyed.

 

“Cute, but annoying.” The Sorceress said. “Try again.”

 

“I don't know.” The Peddler said. “I don't know what else you think I'd be scared of?”

 

She pointed to the bone pile.

 

“But I already guessed that and you said it was wrong.” The Peddler said.

 

“That’s not what I was pointing at.” The Sorceress said.

  
  


“Then what are yo-”

  
  


“Shh, stay quiet.” The Sorceress said. A snarling was heard from the other side of the bones.

  
  


“That’s not fair!” The Peddler laughed. “We can’t see the monster from the other side of the pile!”

  
  


“Fine.” The Sorceress said. “Then I’ll change it to something else scary.”

  
  


“You?”

  
  


“No, it’s not one you’ve guessed yet.” She said.

  
  


“Sukoshi?”

  
  


“No. He’s not scary, is he?”

  
  


“No, not really.” The Peddler said. “We haven’t seen him around though, have we?”’

  
  


“No.” The Sorceress said. “Than again, he said he’d probably die without Blurryface, didn’t he?”

  
  


The Peddler froze again. Think of Blurryface made him sick to his stomach. She may have been horrid to him, but he didn’t think she had to die. Now the thought someone else could be dead as a result….He shuddered. “Um..y-yeah...I-I think so…but I-I hope not…”

  
  


“I’m sure he’s fine.” The Sorceress said. “Have you seen that winged rat? He’s got some of the sharpest fangs I’ve ever seen!”

  
  


“Hm..” The Peddler looked around. “Oh! Uh..the..the uh..the shadows?”

  
  


Dancing on the wall were shadows shaped like little ghosts. They scattered around, some overlapping others as they flew past.

  
  


“No. Try again.”

  
  


“I can’t think of anything else.” The Peddler said.

  
  


“You.” The Sorceress said.

  
  


“Me?” The Peddler repeated in surprise.

  
  


‘Yes you. Despite how optimistic you try to be, you’re scared of yourself. Isn’t that right?”

 

“Yes. That was a good one, you got me.” The Peddler said with a small, anxious smile.

  
  


The Sorceress yawned. “No more I Spy, I'm going to rest.”

  
  


She stretched and leaned against the wall, her head ending up against The Peddler's leg. He smiled and looked down at her. To himself he whispered, “You're the most wonderful thing I've ever spied.”, and fell asleep as well.

  
  


….........

  
  


When The Ninja woke up, Plop Plop was snuggled against him, hugging tightly. The Ninja smiled slightly before pushing him off so he could get up.

  
  


Plop Plop, Oswald, and Julius woke up too and followed him into the kitchen.

  
  


“Are you ready to test the mask?” Julius asked.

  
  


“Yes.” The Ninja said, gripping the mask tightly. He was nervous to test it out, in case it was cursed, or it would kill him.

  
  


The Ninja, Plop Plop, The Messenger,Julius,Oswald, and Ortensia, gathered in the backyard.  
  
There was a rather large garden back there. One section was of bright,ripe,yellow Meyer lemons. That was the Meyer's Garden. Then there were the bright pink tulips swaying in the wind. The Tulip Garden. Then daises squished together in bunches.  
The Daisy Garden. There were tons of other plants as well: Sunflowers, roses, and dandelions (Although those were not grown on purpose They were kind of pretty for weeds though, so they let them stay.).  
  
The Ninja inhaled and exhaled to calm himself. He examined the mask hesitantly before putting it over his head.  
  
Everyone shielded their eyes as the red light flashed all around.  
  
The Ninja examined his hands, then his legs, and everywhere else. The suit felt softer than usual,like it was made of The Tengu's soft,downy feathers.  
  
He decided to make sure he could still do his acrobatic moves. He flipped through the air with relative ease, and leapt from side to side quickly. Things were normal so far.   
  
Next he decided to test out his flexibility and stretched his arms in front of him. Out from his hands shot something that looked like a yellowish orange spiral designed,dragon with small eyes and a mustache,into a lady slipper plant. It went up in flames.  
  
Ortensia hurried over to the koi pond and splashed pawfuls of water onto the burning plant. It stopped, but almost all of the once bright pink flowers, were burnt to a crisp.  
  
"W-whoa..." The Ninja said, looking at his hands, eyes wide in a mix of fear and amazement. To his surprise there were no burn marks on the glove, or a sign of exit for the dragon.  
  
"Oooh! That was awesome!" Plop Plop cheered.  
  
Julius was biting down on his lip and squeezing his tail in fear.  
  
Oswald stood there, wide eyed and silent.  
  
Ortensia went back to her dad and held her father's arm, a little bit scared. The Messenger stood there, stoic.  
  
"That was definitely new..." The Ninja remarked, still looking at his hands. He finally put them down.   
  
"You think you can do anything else? Huh? Huh?" Plop Plop asked like an excited child.  
  
"I'm not sure." The Ninja said. "And I'm not sure I want to try right now. That was too much of a surprise for me. However, next time I'll be prepared for anything else odd that could occur."  
  
He frowned when he saw Julius wringing his tail. He walked over and put his hand on his shoulder reassuringly. "Are you all right?"  
  
"Y-yeah I was j-just s-startled." Julius said,shuddering slightly.  
  
The Ninja just frowned more and removed his mask. Then he picked up the scared cat, and held him to his chest, while petting his head gently. Julius purred. "Come on, let's go inside."  
  
.......

  
  


  
That night Aleu couldn't sleep. She tossed and turned as visions rushed through her head. She'd had visions of the dragon, and now just them sleeping. She shook her head and managed to break out of her visions for a moment.

  
  


In that short moment she looked over to her new mate, Matsu, and sighed. She knew what she had to do to stop the visions. Aleu gave her a small nuzzle and lick, making her smile in her sleep, before going off to the village.

  
  


She stood on the small cliff above The Ninja's house. She looked up to the sky. The moon shined brightly, and the stars twinkled. One even shot past.

  
  


“I'm not a monster...am I?”

  
  


“No you're not.”

  
  


Aleu looked over. “J-Julius?”

  
  


Julius sat next to her. “Are you okay?”

  
  


“Y-yeah I guess so...I just...feel bad for earlier.”

  
  


Julius let out a dry chuckle. “For being stanked? Aleu, _everyone's_ been stanked before! It's fine!”

  
  


“I-I thought that too...until it actually happened. Then I hurt you and Alice.”

  
  


“Aleu it's okay.” Julius said. “We didn't get hurt, you need to relax.”

  
  


Aleu inhaled and exhaled lightly before making eye contact with him. “I heard you put up quite a fight though.”

  
  


“Well,” Julius said proudly. “Fighting is my forte after all.”

  
  


Aleu giggled. “Of course it is.”

  
  


_Oh Julius, don't you understand? You just described your part in The Grand Design, perfectly!_

  
  


 


	9. You Gave Me a Reason to Try

The Sorcerer was preparing to take down The Ninja once and for all.

 

He turned to the rat on his shoulder and scratched under her chin. “Today;s the day girl! We’re going to take him down, and free my beloved Sorceress.”

The rat squeaked cheerfully. Then she stopped suddenly and let out a questioning squeak.

“Well no...I haven’t exactly come up with a plan yet.” The Sorcerer admitted. “But, I will come up with one.” 

The rat squeaked and ran down his arm. “A family reunion? I suppose you can go.”

She squeaked another question. “You want me to come with?...Well..I guess...I do need to come up with a plan still anyway.”

He followed the rat to an open field where many other rats were gathered. There was a mini buffet of various foods the rats had gathered: Blueberries,raspberries,strawberries,breadcrumbs,sunflower seeds,peanuts, and even some garbage.

The rat held up a blueberry as an offering. The Sorcerer was hesitant, but ate the blueberry. 

“Your relatives sure are....interesting.” The Sorcerer said, although he didn't know what to except. They were rats after all. 

The rat squeaked.

“Uh...you're welcome.” He looked around, still thinking. How am I going to take down that blasted Ninja? He looked around more and watched as the rats all filled themselves with the food at the mini buffet.

Some of the younger rats started climbing on him, trying to play. The Sorcerer let out an annoyed sigh. There was no way he was going to be able to think up a plan with all these rats around....

....Rats! Of course! I can use the rats!

He picked up his rat companion, causing her to drop her blueberry. "Girl, I have a plan!"

....

The Ninja woke up, and stretched and yawned. Once again Plop Plop was snuggled close to him, resting his head in his chest. The Ninja examined the bed and counted the people in the bed...Himself, Plop Plop, Oswald...one two three...Where was Julius?

The Ninja felt his stomach churn and twist. He was worried something happened to Julius.  
As he woke up more, he started thinking more rationally:

If The Sorcerer somehow find out he was was his cat, would he even bother taking him?

Even if in the rare case he did know, why would he only target Julius? Surely he would have killed The Ninja himself, if given the chance. Or maybe….he was just in the kitchen getting breakfast.

The Ninja got up, letting Plop Plop and Oswald sleep in for a while more. As he became more coherent he realized why he was scared. The other day when Julius fought Aleu he was worried about him. He was kind of surprised The Sorcerer didn’t stank him then and there from his anxiety. Maybe that would be too easy. He’d be subservient to The Sorcerer then, and wouldn’t make a deal of being killed. The Ninja figured that was part of the fun for The Sorcerer..the fight. So why would he give that up? 

Why was Julius so headstrong? Why didn’t he listen? Why didn’t he stay out of the way? Why was he so eager to fight as if he were a ninja? Why didn’t he understand the danger? Why didn’t he understand The Ninja didn’t want him to die like his brothers (and adding squires, sisters) did?

The Ninja decided, he’d confront Julius about it this morning. However when he entered the kitchen, he was nowhere to be found. He panicked again and felt his stomach churn. Luckily his rational side took over and he went to check other rooms. He wasn’t in the bathing room or the lounging room. He didn’t look in his late brother’s rooms or The Squires Quarters. He told himself it was because of how unlikely it would be for him to be there. The truth was the thought of going in those places made him sick to his stomach.

The rooms were untouched since their death (Besides the time they had to get paper from The Squires Quarters.) Inside, not that The Ninja ever looked, there was dust caked on everything. The sleeping mats and beds were unusable at this point, mold growing on them. Sometimes he heard the squeaking of mice when he passed The Squires Quarters. They wouldn’t dare come out, not with a cat around. 

Finally he headed to the backyard. The ground was shining with the morning dew, and the sky was still a light orange. He spotted Aleu and Julius snuggled together asleep. Aleu was resting her head on her front paws, tail curled against her back ones. Julius was half laying on her, everything below his chest was on the ground, and he slept on his knees.. His arms were dangling down.

“Julius!” The Ninja said to wake him up. Both he and Aleu woke up.

“Hi Ninja.” He greeted before letting out a yawn.

“Why did you sleep out here?” The Ninja asked curiously. 

“Oh.” Julius said. “Uh, Aleu was feeling bad about being stanked, so I decided to stay with her.”

“Yeah.” Aleu confirmed,sighing a bit. 

The Ninja frowned. “It's not your fault, you know that, right?”

“I know, but I feel guilty for trying to hurt Julius and Alice.” Aleu said sadly, her ears folding back.

The Ninja looked confused. “Wait, you remember this?”

“No. My friend Muru told me what happened.”

“Who's Muru?” The Ninja asked curiously.

“He's...a friend...” She looked away. “You wouldn't believe me if I told you...It'll sound too weird.”

The Ninja smirked. “Aleu, I shot a dragon out of my hands the other day, I don't think anything you can say will be too weird.”

“All right, well...he's my...guardian angel.” Aleu said.

“Your guardian angel?” The Ninja asked, not in a rude 'are-you-serious?' tone, but rather a curious one. 

“Yeah.” Aleu said. “He appears to me sometimes and helps guide me.”

“I see.” The Ninja said. “Does he only appear to you?”

“Does this answer your question?” Asked a small voice. The Ninja flinched back when he saw a random brown mouse appear by Aleu's paws.

Muru frowned. “I'm sorry, did I frighten you? I didn't mean to.”

“No. I was just surprised.” The Ninja said, stepping forward. 

“ I see.” Muru said before itching behind his ear. “I also see that you're here to get Julius.”

The Ninja was surprised, but hid it quickly. “How did you know that?” He was trying to sound more curious than surprised.

Muru chuckled a bit. “I may be Aleu's guardian angel, but I can still see everyone and their inner thoughts.”  
He paused for a moment. “Like, I know you need Julius for patrol.”

“You do?” Julius asked, perking up a bit.

“Of course I do.” The Ninja said. “You're an important part of the team.”

Julius smiled more.

“I need you to lead civilians to the shelter in case The Sorcerer attacks.”

Julius frowned and lowered his ears. “Oh...” He said in disappointment. 

Aleu frowned too. “You should go Julius. Your place in The Grand Design is with The Ninja.”

“Okay...” He sounded a bit unsure as he made his way over to the ninja. His stomach growled. “Can we get some breakfast first?”

“Of course.” The Ninja said. “We need to be nourished to defend the village.”

They headed inside. Plop Plop and Oswald had started breakfast already.

“We were gonna wait for you, but somebody doesn't have the patience.” Oswald said, eyeing Plop Plop.

“Hey, you're one to talk!” Plop Plop argued. “You didn't wait either!”

“Only because you didn't!” Argued Oswald.

The Ninja rolled his eyes before joining them for breakfast. He got some chicken for Julius, who ate it up fairly quickly.

A few minutes later, The Messenger and Ortensia arrived.

"Morning." The Messenger said, tipping his hat slightly with a small smile.

"Hello!" Ortensia said.

"Hi honey bun!" Oswald said, going over and giving her a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. She giggled and kissed back.

"Hi guys!" Julius greeted.

"Hey." Plop Plop said, giving a small wave.

"Did you two eat already?" The Ninja asked.

"No, not yet." Ortensia said. "Our hen hasn't laid any eggs today. She says she's a little under the weather." She frowned. "Poor thing, I really hope she feels better soon."

"You may join us if you'd please." The Ninja offered.

"Thank you, I'm starving!" Ortensia said. She and her dad went over to eat. She sat between her brother Julius, and her mate Oswald, then she grabbed some chicken and ate.

The Messenger sat across from them and took some grapes.

“I wonder what The Sorcerer's plotting today.” Julius said.

“It can't be anything good.” The Ninja said, narrowing his eyes. He finished eating and cleaned up. “You ready to go?”

Everyone nodded.

“Good, I'll just go get Aleu.”

He walked outside and spotted Aleu. She was holding a dead deer in her front paws and biting into it. Blood stained her jowls and paws a dark red. 

“Are you ready for patrol?” The Ninja asked.

“In a minute.” Aleu said before tearing off a piece of flesh and eating it. “I need to finish breakfast. My visions don't work well when I'm hungry.”

She looked down at her food for a second, then back to The Ninja. “Oh...Do you want some?”

“Uh...I'll pass..” The Ninja said. “Just...howl when you're ready, okay?”

“All right.” Aleu said, eating more.

The Ninja headed back inside, and they waited for Aleu's howl. When she howled they headed out for patrol.

At first there was nothing out of the ordinary. People were going on with their everyday lives: The vendors were selling their wares, people were talking as they strolled around the village, and everything was overall peaceful.

Aleu scouted from the mountains, looking for any sign of The Sorcerer. So far she didn't see anything. She lifted her nose into the air and sniffed. His awful, rotten, scent wasn't anywhere either.

Julius was bored. Sure he didn't like his job, but it was better than doing nothing. If The Sorcerer didn't attack, this was going to be a long, boring, patrol. Not that he wanted The Sorcerer to attack, mind you, he was just bored out of his mind.

“Aleu! Any visions?” The Ninja called to her.

“Not yet!” Aleu called back.

Julius sighed.

"Hey Julius!" Alice greeted. "What'cha doing?"

"Oh, hey Alice!" Julius said back. He knew she could make things less boring. "I'm just taking a walk."

"Where are your partners in crime?" Alice asked with a smirk. Deep down though she was still worried The Messenger and Ortensia were hurting him. She ached to bring it up, but she hadn't found the ideal time to bring it up: Either they were close by, or they were in a serious situation like escaping The Sorcerer or even fighting. For being best friends they sure didn't hang out a lot.

"They're just up ahead." Julius said. "I'm kinda the slow walker in the family, heh. Ol' Julius just can't keep up!"

As he said the last part he swung his fist playfully into a hook motion.

"Funny. I've seen you run before." Alice said. "And you're a pretty fast runner."

Julius froze. He gripped his tail tightly and started twisting it in his paws. "O-oh um...uh..y-yeah...I-I guess I am p-pretty fast. But I uh...I um..."

"Let me guess...You needed some space from them?"

Julius perked up then. Alice had just handed him the best excuse!  
It was perfect!

"Y-yeah! T-totally! I-I just needed some space, y-you know."

"Julius." Alice sighed, crouching down to his level, and putting a hand on his shoulder. "I think-

They were interrupted by a a big cloud of green smoke gathering in the sky. The villagers froze and stared before panicking and running off. Their screams filled the air.

The peace was gone. The new usual was occurring.

Julius grabbed Alice's hand and hid with her. They looked out from behind a barrel to keep their eyes on the action.

The wind started picking up. Dust flew everywhere as if it were dancing.

"The Sorcerer!" The Ninja yelled. "Plop Plop!"

"Yes Ninja?" He answered, his voice full of obedience and loyalty. "You and Oswald get The Tengu Stone before The Sorcerer does!"

"Got it! Come on Oswald!"

The two hurried to the carp statue near the middle of the village.

There was the egg that had become the carp's eye. It shined brightly and reflected light off of it's yellow surface.

"All right, there it is Oswald!"

"...Uh...How are we gonna reach it?" Oswald asked, looking up at the statue. Both he and Plop  Plop were too short to reach the middle, let alone the egg in it's eye. 

"Get on my shoulders." Plop Plop said.

"W-what?" Oswald asked.

Plop Plop picked up Oswald and put him on his shoulders. They wiggled and wobbled before finding their balance.

Oswald managed to hold onto the statue. The carp's eye was in sight. His paw shook as he reached for it. Finally he gripped it and pulled.

"Did you get it?" Plop Plop asked.

Oswald looked down and said, "It's stuck!"

"What do you mean it's stuck?"

"I mean, I can't pull it out!"

"Then push it!" Plop Plop said, now feeling the full pressure of Oswald on his shoulders.

Oswald tried pushing it through this time. It took some effort,but it bounced out, and ricocheted off the ground. It rolled into a panicking crowd and got kicked around. Oswald crawled in on his paws and knees trying not to get kicked. He grabbed for the stone and got his paw stepped on. He grabbed his wrist and yelped in pain as he fell back. In the meantime the stone got kicked away again. Oswald grabbed his ears and pulled back while snarling and gritting his teeth.

This time it ended in a vendor cart full of apples. Oswald went over and felt around the fruit for the stone.

“Hey!” The vendor yelled, slapping his hand away. “You have to pay those.”

“I'm not trying to steal an apple, miss, I just-”

She slapped his hand as he reached for it again. “Did you not understand, rabbit!? You can't just take my apples all willy-nilly! They cost money! So unless, you have fifty cents, you're out of luck!”

Oswald dug into his pockets, looking for any loose change. Unfortunately he didn't find any. “Please, I need the-”

“No!”

Oswald panicked. What was he going to do now. “Well uh...what about that kid over there? I saw him take an apple when you were away from your cart.”

The vendor furrowed her brows. “He did what?!”

As she went after the boy who supposedly stole an apple, Oswald grabbed The Tengu Stone and ran off. Unfortunately the vendor noticed.

“Hey! You get back here you thieving rabbit!” She started chasing after him. For a moment, she lost him in the crowd, but then she saw his ears and went after him again.

When he got back to Plop Plop he leaned against him and panted. “So...uh...w-we'd...better..r-run...”

“Why?” Plop Plop asked raising a brow.

“I may have been accused of robbery...”

Plop Plop's eyes widened. “What?”

“Hey, get back here!” The vendor yelled, running towards them.

Plop Plop grabbed Oswald's paw and ran. “What happened!?”

“The Tengu Stone fell into a vendor's cart of apples, and I was trying to grab it, but...”

“You darn rabbit! I'm going to skin you alive!”

“......She thought I was taking an apple!” Oswald finished.

Plop Plop pulled him behind a barrel and they both sat panting, out of breath. When they looked over they were surprised to see a certain cat and girl sitting there too.

Julius's eyes widened and he gripped his tail. “H-hello.”

“Oh uh...hello...random cat...and random...girl..” Plop Plop said awkwardly.   
“Can we stay here and rest for a while?” Oswald asked. 

“Um....sure...” Julius said awkwardly.

Alice looked over at them curiously. Oswald hid The Tengu Stone in his paws, only making her more curious.

“What's that?” She asked, pointing to his paws.

“N-nothing.” He said, holding it closer to his chest.

Alice looked them both over. “Hey...you two work for The Ninja don't you?”

“Yeah...” Oswald confirmed a little bit awkwardly. He didn't want to out Julius as The Ninja's cat nor let Alice see The Tengu's Stone, so he was a bit nervous.

“That's awesome!” Alice said excitedly. “The Ninja is so amazing!”

“Yeah.” Plop Plop said. “He really is.”

“And working for him is quite a challenge.” Oswald boasted. “It would be too much work for say a...a little kitty-cat.”

He smirked at Julius, who smiled nervously and held his tail closer. Sure, he knew Oswald was joking, but it still hurt. He already felt useless enough as it was, but calling attention to it made worse. “R-right...I'm a pretty timid...little kitty-cat too...I-I could never do what The N-ninja does.”

Oswald frowned. “I-I didn't mean..I-”

“Julius.” Alice said, frowning. “I think you're very brave.”

“Y-you do?” Julius asked, surprised.

“Yeah! I've seen you fight off monsters! It takes a lot of bravery to do that!”

Julius blushed and hugged his tail. “T-thank you, Alice.”

“Hey! You! Rabbit!”

The four looked up and saw the vendor running towards them.

“Uh oh...” Oswald said. He grabbed Plop Plop's hand and ran off.  
“Get back here!”

The Ninja was preparing for The Sorcerer to show himself. The green smoke in the sky only increased. The Messenger and Ortensia were helping people to the shelter. 

“Ninja!” Oswald called, running towards him. “Ninja! Ninja!”

“Oswald. Plop Plop.” The Ninja acknowledged, thinking they were only making haste to give him the stone faster.

Oswald and Plop Plop stopped in front of him,panting. Then they hid behind The Ninja, looking over his side, worriedly. The Ninja put his fists to his side and looked at his squire and rabbit, un assumed. 

“You little thief, you-!” The vendor stopped when she saw The Ninja looking down at her. “Oh h-hello Ninja...N-nice day isn't it?”

“Did someone take something from you?” The Ninja asked. Not only was he the protector of the village, he also had assumed the role of law enforcement.

“Yes....The littlest outlaw there took one of my apples!” The vendor exclaimed, pointing to Oswald with a shaky finger.

The Ninja sighed. “How much did it cost?”

“Fifty cents, but I hardly think that's important! He stole something from me! He should be prosecuted! He-!”

The Ninja dug into his suit and pulled out some change and put it in her hand. “Here.”

The vendor blinked. “But...he needs to be punished!”

“I'll give him a stern talking to.” The Ninja said, hoping it would make her leave.

The woman huffed. “Fine! But if I catch the rabbit stealing apples one more time...I'll punish him myself!”

She went off, hoping no one took advantage of her abandoned apple cart and helped themselves while she was gone.  
Suddenly there was a rumbling that rattled the stones on the ground. 

“It's a stampede!” A man yelled.

The Ninja looked up and saw a hoard of rat stanks. They had grayish-green fur with light red hair sticking up in triangles on their backs. As where their noses, their curled tails, and their giant sharp claws on their large front paws (It was mystery how they could stand when their back legs were so small in comparison). 

They were terrifying enough to even scare a lion cub who would laugh in the face of danger. The Ninja leapt out of the way and hid behind a barrel.

“Ninja!” Alice said excited.

The Ninja shushed her gently and put his hand on her shoulder. “The Sorcerer may be near. You should head to the shelter.”

“Got it.” Alice said.

“He's here!” Aleu called.

The Ninja looked out from behind the barrel. The rats had made it to the village, and on the back of one of them was The Sorcerer. He laughed as he gathered stank in his hands. The Ninja jumped out and ran towards The Sorcerer.

“Come on, lets head to the shelter.” Julius said, grabbing Alice's hand.

She pulled back. “Why?”

His eyes widened in surprise. “B-but...you just told T-the Ninja...that you...uh I mean...we..uh..”

“I don't want to go to the shelter.” Alice said, rolling her eyes. “I want to watch the fight.”

“But...O-okay.....” Julius held his tail tighter. Why'd she have to get so brave? Why doesn't she like the shelter anymore? Oh why, oh why...?

The Ninja jumped forward and kicked The Sorcerer in the middle of the chest, making him fall off his rat.

“Ninja....” The Sorcerer said, grinning evilly and gathering stank in his hand. “Nice of you to drop by!”

He shot stank which The Ninja dodged. Then he lunged forward hit wrists with The Sorcerer. They both slid back on impact. As The Sorcerer got ready to attack again The Ninja ran forward and elbowed his stomach, making him go down again.

This time as The Sorcerer was about to attack, The Ninja had an idea. He shot the dragon out of his hands. The Sorcerer's eyes widened in surprise and he got hit again.

“W-wow...” Aleu said in surprise. “T-that's amazing!”

“....You have hidden powers I see...” The Sorcerer said, grinning. “Well...I've got some too!”

He gathered stank like usual, but it swirled around at a much faster rate than usual. He shot out multiple balls of stank that circled around The Ninja. Thinking fast he took at his sword and hit the stank off it. The stank went back to The Sorcerer's power balls.

The Sorcerer scowled and lunged. The Ninja kicked and got out of the way. The Sorcerer shot more stank. This time The Ninja didn't leap away in time and got struck.

Julius, Alice, Plop Plop,Oswald,Ortensia, The Messenger, and Aleu stared wide eyed. The Sorcerer towered over him, and struck with his hand.

“Ninja...” Aleu breathed out. “Ninja look out!”

This time The Ninja managed to roll out of the way of his swipe.

“Ninja..” Plop Plop said worriedly as he patted Oswald's back in comfort. The rabbit's ears were folded down worriedly. Ortensia was giving her father a death grip of a hand hold. The Messenger just bit his lip, hoping things would go fine.

Alice was still, her breathing slowed in fear. Julius only gripped his tail more. It was started to get red and sore, but he didn't mind the pain. He was too distracted by the fight.

The Sorcerer picked him up. “You're finished, Ninja!” The Ninja let out a weak moan in defeat. He knew he couldn't do anything.

Something in Julius snapped.

He let out a hiss and started running towards The Sorcerer. He didn't feel any fear this time, just determination. 

“Julius!” Alice yelled. “Julius, no!”

He extended his claws and lunged for his leg. He sunk his fangs and claws into him. The Sorcerer yelped and dropped The Ninja. The Ninja managed to roll on his side and watch, terrified.

“J-Julius..” He coughed.

The cat sunk his teeth deeper, drawing blood. The Sorcerer managed to kick him off, causing him to tumble.

From atop the cliff, Aleu smiled.

“Julius!” Oswald said, running to him and pulling him up. He tried to drag him back, but Julius pulled away. He ran back towards The Sorcerer and punched.

He gathered stank in his hands. “Ooooh, this pathetic kitten thinks he can take me on...Well...you'll make a nice decoration in my cave afterwards!”

“Look out!” Aleu barked to Julius. He pounced out of the way of a stank blast.

“Plop Plop..” The Ninja coughed out. Plop Plop and Oswald hurried over. “Help me up..”

They each grabbed an arm and helped him. “Now...get me over to them....”

“But you're hurt!” Plop Plop said, surprised. “You can't fight!”

“Listen. Julius is out there fighting The Sorcerer! I'm not going to just watch and let him die!” The Ninja said in a near snarl. “Now take me to him!”

Oswald and Plop Plop exchanged nervous looks, not sure what to do. They considered taking him back, but he snapped, “Now!”

They followed the battling Sorcerer and cat. Julius panted, near out of breath. All the times he fought stanks paled in comparison to this moment. The Sorcerer tried to hit him, but he ducked out of the way. Then The Sorcerer grabbed his foot and dangled him. Julius snarled and sunk his back claws into his palm. The Sorcerer yelped and held on tighter.

Plop Plop and Oswald reluctantly helped The Ninja get close as possible without being seen. He leaned against a rock to get his balance. Once he steadied himself he put his hands together and shot another dragon at The Sorcerer.

He fell down, allowing Julius to get free. 

“Julius, run!” The Ninja yelled. Julius froze for a moment before looking back to The Sorcerer on the ground. He felt the adrenaline rush through him, and it felt good. He ran back towards him instead. He slashed his claws at his face and hissed more.

“Julius!” The Ninja called again before groaning in anger. He limped towards them.

The Sorcerer got up and gathered more stank. Julius got into a fighting stance, but The Ninja pushed him out of the way and pinned him.  
“Go home, now!” The Ninja said seriously.

“B-but..The S-sorcerer...” Despite having gotten over his fear to fight The Sorcerer, The Ninja was still pretty intimidating when angry. 

“I can handle The Sorcerer, just go home!” The Ninja said.

Aleu looked down, frowning. They'd gotten so close, but then The Ninja got in the way of everything. What am I going to do now?...Wait....”Ninja, look out!”

Trusting Aleu's warning, The Ninja grabbed Julius and somersaulted out of the way. When he looked up, to his surprise The Sorcerer was a pretty large distance away. The Ninja and Julius got up. He was about to question Aleu's warning, but The Sorcerer prepared another attack. Managing some strength, The Ninja hurried over...followed by Julius.

“Julius! I said go home!” He yelled, looking over.

“Ninja!” Aleu warned. He didn't heed her warning this time and got blasted by stank. He collapsed again and Julius ran to him. “Ninja!” He knelt beside him and stroked his masked face. “Oh, Ninja...”

“Julius...” He coughed. “Go...home...”

“No.” He replied firmly. He glared at The Sorcerer and his evil grin spreading across his face. He looked behind him and a few yards away saw a hole. The villager's had been digging it as a part of their new sewage system. He smirked, getting an idea. 

He bolted past The Sorcerer.

“That pathetic fleabag is surrendering.” The Sorcerer said, smirking. He gathered stank. “Well, I'm not letting him get away that easy!”

He shot, and Julius leapt out of the way for all but one blast. He slid towards the hole, his head and front paws dangling down. The Sorcerer crept near, and looked at the cat. “Well, well, well...You thought you were so brave, didn't you? You thought you could take me down when eight ninjas couldn't!? You're a pathetic,annoying, little-”

Julius kicked his knees, making them buckle. He rolled out of the way and got behind The Sorcerer. Then he pushed him into the hole. Aleu smiled widely.

The Sorcerer yelled as he fell, before hitting the ground. As he fell four of The Chaos Pearls were flung to the four corners of Norrisville. “Ugh...” He rubbed his head, then looked up and snarled. As he shot stank up, some came in contact with the chains on the ground. They shook and rattled before shooting up and clamping his wrists. The Sorcerer however kept shooting.

Julius panicked. He thought pushing him in the hole would have stopped him. The Ninja, who had limped over, pulled Julius away. He looked at the stank shooting up and panicked as well. Then he spotted a large rock and had an idea. 

He hurried as much as he could and grabbed the rock. His groaned a bit in pain and his knees buckled as he lifted the rock. Slowly he waddled over and threw the rock on top of the whole. It fit perfectly. However The Sorcerer's magic was powerful enough to push it up.

As The Ninja struggled to push the stone down The Tengu Stone fell out. He quickly picked it up and came up with an idea. He jammed the stone into the center of the rock, hoping the power of The Tengu inside would weigh it down. A blast of yellow light shined through the air. From the light fell a key.

Quickly he picked it up and examined it thoroughly: It was gold and the top was folded into a nine...the nine he'd seen in his dreams before. When he glanced down he noticed a small hole in The Tengu Stone, one that the key would fit in. To test his theory he put it in and twisted slightly. It worked perfectly and glowed a bright green. He pulled it out. “Plop Plop!”

“Y-yes?” Plop Plop asked, still in shock from what just happened.

“Hide this key.” The Ninja said. “We can't let anyone find it.”

“R-right.” Plop Plop said. He went off with Oswald. 

“As for you...” The Ninja said to Julius, who now looked terrified. “Come with me!”

“Y-y-yes..N-ninja..” Julius sputtered out. He nervously followed him.

…..

The Sorcerer tried with all his might to push the stone up with his stank. However the power of The Tengu's Stone kept it in place. “Curse that Ninja and his cat! I'll be free again, and when I am they will suffer! Suffer!”

Suddenly he heard squeaking noises and stopped. He pulled off his hat and grabbed the rat under it.

“Ah yes, the rat too scared to be stanked.” The Sorcerer said. The rat let out a sad squeak. “Well, it's nice to have your company, girl. I have a feeling I may be stuck down here for quire a while...”

“I just don't know how I'm going to tell her.” He sighed and looked at the orbs on his belt. He grabbed one and called The Sorceress.

…....

The Sorceress and The Peddler were asleep against the wall, and they jolted awake when they saw the orbs glowing.

“Hello?” The Sorceress asked the ball groggily. 

“Hello my love, there seems to be um...a problem...”

“What kind of problem?” She asked, still groggy.

“The Ninja and his fleabag...trapped me in a hole...”

“What!?” The Sorceress screeched. “I'll kill those two when I escape! Even from that hole you'll hear it all! The sound of that imbecile ninja's dying gasp! His fleabag of cat squealing in my grasp! And his squire's mournful cry! It will be just like a lullaby!"

“Thank you my sweet Sorceress. I still long for the day we are together again! We will cause such havoc together! Goodbye my dear, I need to find any escape.”

"Goodbye....my love." When her orb stopped, The Sorceress broke down in tears, sobbing heavily.

The Peddler frowned in sympathy. "Hey...are you okay?"

The Sorceress turned around and snapped. "No, I am not okay! The one I love is stuck in a hole! That means I'll never get out and we'll never be together again!"

She put her face into arms and cried some more.

The Peddler wished he wasn't chained up so he could comfort her. "I-I'm sorry...I love..having you here and....I-I can't stand seeing you sad. Want to play I Spy?"

"I'm never going to see my lover again, and you ask if I want to play a child's game!?" She hissed in reply. 

“I-I'm sorry...” The Peddler apologized. 

The Sorceress kept crying. “A-and you say you love having me here? Does that mean you don't want me to be reunited with him!?”

“N-no! That's not what I mean at all!” The Peddler said, panicking. “I-I..I mean..I..”

“Zip it, Peddler!” She cried.  
“I'm...sorry..” He apologized again.

“I said, zip it!” She screeched. 

The Peddler sighed. I just want her to be happy....I love her...

He doesn't understand! He doesn't understand at all! There is no way that fool has ever loved!

….......

The Ninja dragged Julius back to the house. “Julius, that was more of the most foolish things you've ever done!....And...I have never been prouder of you.”

“I-I'm s-s-sorry Ninja...I..wait..what!?” Julius was surprised.

“You have shown you're as brave,cunning, and strong as a ninja.” The Ninja continued.

“W-what are you...?” Julius trailed off, not sure how to finish his question. He noticed The Ninja was ahead and hurried after. "H-hey wait up!"

They ended up in the Hall of Ninja. It sent a shudder through Julius. This was one of the rooms they hadn't been in since the other ninjas had died. It was just so eerie now.

The room was basically a tribute to The Norisu Eight. Each had a professionally done portrait of each ninja, the background their respective ninja colors. They all  had fancy frames with a leaf  design. The Red Ninja's portrait included Plop Plop, which the others made a big fuss about. On the wall under it were their hand prints. Then in the front were fancy gray stone pillars  engraved with vines and roses, and curled concave corners.

On every pedestal except The Red Ninja's, was a rose, put in memorial. They were once a bright red, but now they were shriveled and brown.

Julius silently followed The Ninja to the end of the tribute, and then they stopped.

"Wait here." The Ninja said before leaving.

Julius stayed there and held his tail, wondering what was going on. Was he still mad?

The Ninja came in with a cart full of things. Julius looked at the cart curiously.

The Ninja went over with a bowl  of black liquid. He grabbed his  
paws and dipped them into it.

"Place them here." The Ninja said, pointing to a spot on the wall.

Julius felt chills again, but this time they were good chills. He smiled and ran over, some of the ink dripping off onto the floor. He excitedly placed his paws on the wall.

When he pulled back there were black marks around the paw prints. The Ninja grabbed an old blood stained (No doubt The White Ninja's Squire's blood.) rag and wiped off the extra ink. 

Next The Ninja got out a frame like the other frames. Then a portrait of Julius. As he examined it, the brush strokes, and overall style he realized who painted it...The Green Ninja’s squire….  
His stomach lurched when he realized he went into The Squire’s Quarters to get it.

However those feelings subsided and he smiled widely when he saw the picture hanging up. Finally The Ninja placed the pillar in front of it all.

“Does it look okay?” The Ninja asked.

“It looks amazing!” Julius said excitedly. He paused. “But...What’s this for?”

“The Norisu Eight has just become The Norisu Nine.”

“W-w-what?! R-r-really?” Julius was in shock and gripped his tail tightly.

“Yes. You are pure of heart and brave beyond reason. You are worthy to be a ninja.”

Julius smiled widely. “T-thank you!”

Outside, Aleu was having a vision of this moment, smiling widely. It worked! It worked! Julius had finally found his place in The Grand Design! His place with The Ninja!Then she started laughing. She ran around like a puppy and laughed. "Muru! Muru!" She called out with a small giggle.

Her guardian angel appeared before her. Aleu got even more excited. "We did it Muru! We did  it!"

Muru gave a small smile. "Yes. And I'm very proud of you, Aleu. You're a great guardian angel to them."

"Guardian angel? Me?" She asked puzzled as she folded one of her ears down. 

"You may not have been born one like I was, but your destiny lead you to look after The Ninja...Just like a guardian angel."

Aleu blushed and both of her ears folded back. "T-thanks Muru...I-I feel...honored..."

Muru chuckled. "I'm glad."

"Wait...." Aleu paused for a moment. "Do they...still need me?"

"Oh of course they do!" Muru said. "I didn't leave you after you became pack leader, did I?"

"Yes,but....The Sorcerer's trapped now, what else is there for me to do?"

The little mouse licked his paw and cleaned behind his ear. "If you trap a rattlesnake in a box, does it stop hissing and rattling?"

 "Um...?"

"The answer is no." Muru answered. "Just because he's trapped doesn't mean he can't cause trouble."

"All right, thanks Muru."

"No problem, I'll always be here for you, Aleu."

......

The two ninjas entered the kitchen. Julius was shaking in excitement. He could hardly wait until dinner to tell them the news.

"Tonight is a celebration! We will have a feast tonight!" The Ninja proclaimed.

Ortensia, Oswald, Plop Plop, and The Messenger, clapped and cheered.

"Meaning we all have to pitch in." The Ninja said.

Plop Plop groaned, and Oswald playfully slugged him in the arm, smirking. Plop Plop  smirked too and nudged back, laughing a bit.

Everyone pitched in to cook a great feast.

"Hey brother!" Ortensia greeted as Julius walked over with an arm full of green bell peppers to wash. 

"Hey, Ortensia." Julius replied as he dunked a pepper into the bucket of water. 

“It was very brave of you to kick that no good Sorcerer into that hole. Serves him right for what he did!” Ortensia said.

“Yeah. We can’t ever forgive him for that.” Julius said, sounding a bit sad from the memory.

“Right!” Ortensia agreed. She hugged him tightly, making Julius almost drop the bell pepper in surprise. “I’m so happy right now!”

Julius smiled lightly and returned the hug. “Me too, Ortensia, me too.”

Ortensia pulled back. “Oh, I have to finish chopping the fruit.”

Julius took the peppers and headed back to the table to cut them.

“Hey!” Oswald said.

“Hi, Oswald.” Julius said as he started chopping the peppers.  
“You were great out there!” Oswald said.

“Thanks.” Julius said, beaming.

“You ever think of just going into the ninja business?”

Julius froze, now worried his surprise was going to be ruined. “I-I..I don't know...”

“All right.” Oswald said, shrugging. He picked up a head of lettuce and tossed it from paw to paw idly. “But, wow, you're good.”

Julius was bashful again. “T-thanks...I used to be so afraid of The Sorcerer, but when I saw my friend was hurt...well...before I knew it I was going after The Sorcerer!”

Oswald hugged him, and Julius hugged back. “I think I'd be scared to do something like, but you..you were so brave.”

“Yeah.” Plop Plop agreed as he walked by with a bowl. “I'm surprised The Ninja didn't just kick him in a hole years ago.”

The Ninja cleared his throat and Plop Plop looked over.

“What?” The squire asked flatly. The Ninja just sighed in annoyance, and continued helping with the meal. The Messenger caught eyes with Julius, smiled, and tipped his hat slightly. Julius waved and smiled, getting his sentiment.

It took about an hour and a half, but they got the feast ready. They had to push four tables together to fit all of the food on it, and then a separate table to eat.

Apples in different shades of reds,yellows,maroons, and green were piled together, glistening in the light. Ham laid on a lettuce garnish, steam coming up. Then there was the chicken seasoned with nine different kinds of herbs. The peppers that Julius was cutting  became part of an ultimate salad that also included: Red,orange, and yellow peppers, green olives fresh from the vine outside, tomato slices, and sliced cucumber, with lemon juice drizzled on top. This barely even scratched the surface of all the food.

Naturally Julius and Ortensia filled their plates with solely meat, while Oswald took the vegetarian route. Then the three omnivores had a mix of both.

Julius had his mouth full of ham when The Ninja spoke, "As we know today is a day of celebration. The Sorcerer has  been trapped, but there is something else we must celebrate. Julius?"

Julius choked a bit on his ham. He tried to speak with a full mouth, "O-oh hmmph...imfff nwwff a nnnfaa." He kept trying to chew the ham quickly.

"What?" Plop Plop asked, not playing down his annoyed confusion at all.

"I swd iimff a nnnnnja." Julius tried again. He noticed the puzzled looks and mentally sighed. He choked down the ham. "I-I'm a....N-ninja n-now..."

For a moment there was just silence. Then all at once everyone shouted out their congratulations: "Wow, good  job!" "Congratulations, Julius!" "Are you going to get a suit too?" "Nice! You did a great job against  The Sorcerer."

Then one voice spoke up above them all: "I'm so proud of you, Julius. You've found your place in The Grand Design."

Everyone stopped and looked to the doorway to see Aleu standing there, a peaceful, content, smile on her face. She walked over and continued.  "We're all born with purpose,  and yours is fighting beside The Ninja."

"Why didn't you just tell us right away?" Julius asked.

"Would you have believed me?" Aleu asked smugly,  arching a brow.

"I-I guess not..." Julius said.

"Sorry I didn't ask if you wanted to join us." The Ninja apologized. "I planned to bring you some later since you're not comfortable in the village."

"It's fine, I understand. I'm glad you were thinking of me though." She sat down. "Can I join you now?"

"Of course." The Ninja said politely.

Aleu practically drooled when she saw all the food on the tables. She grabbed a piece of ham and laid on her stomach, the  meat between her paws. She chowed down, enjoying every bite. Of all the animals she'd ever eaten, deer, rabbit (Which she stopped eating the moment she was part of the family Oswald was in.), elk, they all paled in comparison to ham.

It was as if she went feral as she ate it. When she noticed them looking her ears folded back in embarrassment. "Oh, sorry I uh..."

Julius grabbed a fish off the table and laid next to Aleu. He sunk his teeth into it and ate it like Aleu ate the ham. Ortensia was the next to join. She grabbed a turkey leg and laid on the wolf dog's other side. Then she tore the skin off with her teeth. Finally Oswald grabbed a carrot and sat next to his mate. He ate the carrot fairy quickly, green top and all.

Aleu relaxed and ate some more. She was glad to be a part of this family.

.... 

That night Julius was too excited to sleep Tomorrow would be his first real day as a ninja! He pressed his face against The Ninja's chest, his breath light and feathery. 

The Ninja’s eyes fluttered open and he noticed Julius was still awake. 

“You need to sleep.” The Ninja said. “Or tomorrow you’ll be too tired to patrol.”

“I know, but I can’t sleep.” Julius whined, snuggling closer. “I’m too excited!”

“I know you are.” The Ninja said, stroking his back to calm him. He purred, but couldn’t calm down. The Ninja yawned and fell asleep. Julius waited for a moment and wiggled out of his arms. Then he sneaked outside.

Aleu was looking at the stars like usual. They seemed to be sparkling brighter than usual to her.

"Hey Aleu!" Julius greeted, excitedly.

She looked over, surprised. "Oh, hello....Why aren't you asleep?"

"I can't sleep, I'm too excited!" Julius said, shaking a bit.

"I understand completely." Aleu said with a smile. "Wanna join me?"

"Sure!" Julius said, hurrying over. He sat beside her and looked up. "They're really pretty, huh?"

"Yeah." Aleu said. "I look at them every night. They're comforting, and they remind me of home."

"Where was your home?" Julius asked, now curious.

"Nome, Alaska." Aleu replied. " My brothers, sister and I lived with our mom, but sometimes our dad would watch us. He lives in an old ship with Uncle Boris...He's an honorary uncle...he's a goose...Sometimes I miss  home." She sighed.

Julius frowned. "Have you ever thought of going back?"

"Yes...but I can't leave now...I have two families, you guys and my pack. Besides if I left I'd just have visions all the time."

"Right, I guess that would get annoying." Julius said.

"No, I mean I'd miss you."

Julius hugged her. "I'm glad  you're here, Aleu."

She smiled and nuzzled him gently. "Thank you."

Julius yawned and rested his head on her chest, then snuggled close.

She howled to her mate: 'Sorry Matsu, it looks like I won't be back tonight. Julius fell asleep on me'

Matsu howled back: 'Don't worry dear, I've been looking after the pack.'

Aleu replied: 'Thank you! Sorry that I've been so busy lately.'

Matsu replied: ‘Sweetie, the pack understands your obligation to the alph-...err..Ninja. Everyone’s so happy their leader is a hero!’

Aleu bashfully howled back: ‘A hero? Me? I mean I do help, but The Ninja is the real hero.’

Matsu howled back: ‘Well, we think you’re a hero. Good night, I love you.’

Aleu howled back a ‘I love you too’ before, yawning, curling up to Julius and falling asleep.

…..

This time when The Ninja woke up, he didn’t worry about Julius’s whereabouts. He had a feeling he knew where he was. He went outside and found Julius snuggled close to Aleu.

“Julius!” The Ninja called, jolting him awake. “Are you ready for patrol?”

Julius yawned and stretched. “Yep. I’m ready, and excited!”

“Are you tired?” The Ninja asked.

“A little, but I'm okay!” Julius said. He couldn't wait to start. He ran down and hugged The Ninja, giggling a bit.

“All right, well first things first, we need to eat breakfast.”

Julius's face fell. “Right I almost forgot.” He wasn't hungry right now, but he knew he had to eat before they left for patrol.

The Ninja thought for a moment. This is the second time she'd been cuddling with Julius. Maybe she was lonely. “Aleu.” He said.

“Yes?”

“Why don't you spend the day with Matsu?”

Aleu cocked her head to the side. “Are you sure?”

“Yes.” The Ninja said. “You haven't spent much time with her lately, have you?”

“No, not really..” Aleu said sadly, folding her ears down. 

“Then go on, relax today.”

Aleu smiled warmly. “T-thank you!” She ran off, excited at the chance to be with her mate for the day.

Matsu was still asleep when Aleu came back. She gently licked her cheek to wake her up. Matsu started giggling and opened her eyes. “Aleu!” She got up and nuzzled her close. “What are you doing here? Don't you have to patrol?”

“I got the day off.” Aleu said into Matsu's neck. “That means we can spend the day together.”

Matsu smiled and nuzzled her cheek and Aleu sighed happily.

After breaking their embrace, the two of them walked over to the food pile for breakfast.

Matsu sniffed and dug through the pile, looking for something in particular. When she found it she pulled it out quickly and started eating. Aleu felt nauseated when she saw what she was eating...a rabbit.

Matsu looked over with curiously. "Oh, do you want some?"

"Um...no thanks." Aleu said awkwardly.

"Oh, right! I'm sorry, I forgot that you...that..Oswald..." Matsu stammered out. "...I'll put it back..."

"No, no, it's okay. You can eat rabbit, it just feels wrong for me to eat it."

"I see." Matsu said. She ate the rabbit again, but much slower than before.

Aleu dug through the pile, and started gagging again when she came across a cat corpse.

"I'm not hungry anymore." Aleu said sadly.

"Oh..okay.." Matsu said nervously. She finished her rabbit and went over to Aleu.

She nuzzled her neck, but Aleu stiffened when she got rabbit blood on her.

"What's wrong?" Matsu asked, pulling back to look her in the eyes. Aleu tilted her nose to the patch of blood. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! I-I didn't think I-I didn't mean to...I..."

Aleu licked the top of her head to calm her. Matsu's breathing slowed as she relaxed. "Thank you..."

“Come on, let’s go wash that blood off you.” Matsu said, leading her to a small pond. Aleu froze when she saw it.

She had a bad memory:

It had been an odd day. There hadn't been any sign of The Sorcerer. Aleu was on high alert though, sniffing the air, and looking for any sign of him.

Julius sighed in boredom. Aleu learned pretty early on he hated lazy days like these. He wanted to experience action, not just walking around waiting.

“Hey Julius!”

“Alice!” Julius said, way too excitedly. 

“Are you busy?” She asked.

“No,...not really...” Julius said, looking at The Ninja from the corner of his eye.

“Do you want to hang out then? Alice asked.

“Yeah, sure!” Julius said. Alice grabbed his paw and they walked off.

The Ninja let out an annoyed sigh. "Aleu. Can you get him?"

"All right." Aleu ran off. When she found Julius she was curious and decided to watch him and Alice for a bit.  
The Ninja let out an  annoyed sigh. "Aleu. Can you get him?"

"All right." Aleu ran off. When she found Julius she was curious and decided to watch him and Alice for a bit.

Alice lead him to a small pond and grabbed a stone. She tossed it and skipped across the water.

 

Julius picked up a stone too and tried to skip it. It fell into the water with a plunk.  
Alice grabbed another stone. "You have to put your wrist into it." She threw it and it skipped again.

Julius tried again. Plunk! He let out an annoyed sound and picked up another one. Like the other two, it sunk.

Alice bit her lip anxiously. "Why don't we wade in the water instead?"

"All right." Julius sighed out. 

Alice got into the water, her dress floated on top of the water gracefully, like a lily pad in a pond. Julius paused and nervously looked at the water. He dipped his toe in and quickly pulled it out again. 

“Come on Julius!” Alice giggled. “I've seen you fight monsters, you can't be afraid on a little water!”

“I-I am...afraid..” Julius admitted nervously, holding his tail tightly in his paws. 

Alice frowned and approached him. Carefully we grabbed his paw. When she spoke her voice was gentle, “Come on, it's okay...I'm here...You don't have to go in if you don't want to...”

“I do want to! I'm just...scared...” Julius said bashfully.

“I'll help you then.” Alice said. She grabbed his paws tighter and lead him into the water slowly. Julius seemed nervous, but he careful got in. Once he was up to his knees he seemed to relax. Alice smiled reassuringly and let go of his paws. Julius quickly latched to her arm, scared.

“Sorry!” Alice apologized, grabbing his paws again. They walked around the shallow end for a while. Aleu really didn't want to break up their fun, but she knew The Ninja needed him, and she knew it was possible he could prove his place in The Grand Design today. She was about to howl when Julius tripped over a rock and fell face first into the water.

“Julius!” Alice called, hurrying over. She tripped too, but unlike Julius she managed to keep her head above water.””Julius! Oh, Julius!”

Aleu panicked. She didn't care about hiding anymore, she hurried to them and got into the pond. Alice screamed and backed up, tripping over another rock and falling down. Aleu doggy paddled over and grabbed Julius by his scruff, then pulled him back to shore.

Alice quickly ran over to them. “Get away from him you...you wolf!”

Even though the comment hurt, Aleu ignored it and pressed her ear to Julius's chest, whimpering. She nudged her nose against his cheek and licked it. Alice tried to pull her back, but she kept licking and whimpering. She nudged her snout against his stomach and chest, managing to push some of the water out. Julius's eyes opened slightly as he coughed up more water. “A..Aleu...” He said, weakly.

Aleu was glad he was awake, but she hurried away from Alice.

“Julius! Are you okay?” Alice asked, helping him up.

He coughed some more, “Yeah Alice...I-I'm fine...I should probably go home and rest though...”

“Want me to walk you?” Alice asked holding his arm gently. 

“No!” Julius said way too loudly and suddenly. “Uh..no...I uh...need to do somethings first...boring mail route things...you understand, right?”

Alice frowned. “I guess so....see ya later.”

“See ya.” Julius said, before heading off.

Alice waved a bit, but frowned. She sighed and sat by the water, skipping more stones across the surface. Once he was far enough away, Aleu ran back to him.

“Are you okay?” She asked nervously, helping him with his balance.

"Y-yeah...I'm okay." Julius said, grabbing her neck tightly. "I shouldn't have gone into the water though."

When they made it to the edge of the village Aleu froze. "Are you okay walking alone now?"

"Yeah, I'm good." Julius said while he wobbled into the village, while Aleu ran to the safety of the hills.

"There you are!" The Ninja said firmly. "Why are you wet?"

"I...had an incident at the pond." Julius said nervously, gripping his arm.

"It's fine. Just go with the others."

"O-okay..." Julius headed over to Plop Plop, The Messenger, Ortensia, and Oswald.

"I think you were too hard on him." Aleu said.

"He shouldn't have left." The Ninja said. "We're on high alert for The Sorcerer."

Aleu folded her ears back."I'm going to keep looking from up here."

The Ninja nodded and looked over Norrisville carefully.

Aleu went to check on Julius. He and the others were walking around, obviously bored out of their minds.  
Julius was shivering a bit. Oswald hugged him to warm him up a bit.

Aleu sighed., half in relief and half in sadness. She was relieved Julius was all right, but The Ninja had yet to notice his potential. 

…..

“Aleu?” Matsu asked worriedly, nudging her neck. “Aleu, are you okay?”  
Aleu snapped out of her trance. “Uh..yeah..I’m fine…” She quickly dipped her neck in to wash the blood off. It flowed through the water like tiny streams of red. Then she pulled back quickly and shook her fur dry. “Let's just check on the others.”

Matsu nodded and they headed back to the pack. Most of them were still eating breakfast. Aleu’s stomach growled and she headed over to the pile. She closed her eyes tightly and reached into the pile, hoping she wouldn’t grab a rabbit or cat. Luckily she grabbed a deer.

She pulled it out and started eating it. Matsu laid beside her and joined her in the meal. Aleu was finally starting to feel relaxed when she got a vision.

Matsu understood what was going to and gently nuzzled her and licked her cheek. After a few minutes Aleu’s eyes returned to her normal blue color.

“Bad vision?” Matsu asked.

“No. It was just of Julius.” Aleu said. She went over to the pack.

"Hello." Aleu said.

"Oh look, it's our 'leader'. " Scoffed a female Beta. "And look, Aleu's here too."

Aleu looked hurt.

"Kirai!" Matsu scolded. "You have no right to speak to her like that!"

"Why not?" Kirai asked harshly. "She's never here anymore. She's too busy with man!"

"Kira..." Aleu started.

"Kirai!" She spat. "My name's Kirai, not Kira!"

"I-I'm sorry...." Aleu apologized on the verge of tears.

Kirai frowned. "It's fine I guess."

"Do I even belong here anymore?" Aleu sighed.

Matsu's eyes widened. "Of course you do! You're the indisputable leader of the pack! The chief! The queen!"

"But, I feel so disconnected." Aleu admitted. "And too out of touch."

Matsu nuzzled her. "It's okay. I'll help you readjust. Then you'll be able to lead and work for The Alpha."

"Thank you!" Aleu said, snuggling into her mate's neck.

Matsu smiled and lead her off.

.........

"Julius, as a Ninja, protecting your identity is more important than ever." The Ninja explained. "Thus we need to make you a suit."

"Really!?" Julius said excitedly. "Sweet!"

He took out a ninja ,a mask from behind his back. “This is was my childhood ninja mask.”

He was touched by the sentiment. “Thank you.” Tears of joy prickled his eyes. He paused. “Wait...That's just a mask.”

“Put it on.” The Ninja said, smiling.

Puzzled, Julius put it on. Like The Ninja he transformed in a flash of red light. His suit resembled The Ninja's suit, but with some accommodations. There was space for his ears and tails, as well as small holes in the fingertips and toes to get his claws through.

 

“This is amazing!” Julius said. “But how did you..?”

“The Tengu’s feathers gave my suit powers, so I thought if I used even just a single thread it would transfer the same power to that suit.” The Ninja explained. “I tested it on Ortensia, and it worked wonderfully. Now we’ll test your skills in the suit.”

The two of them went to the backyard. Julius was giggling and prancing around excitedly. The Ninja clear his throat. “Now first, leap into the air.”

Julius paused. Leap? He wasn’t sure if he’d ever leapt at all without it having been from off of something. Hesitantly he tried and he did it! “W-wow...I..I..that was amazing!”

The Ninja smiled. “Good. Next is kick jumping.”

“Excuse me?” 

“Run, kick off the side of the house, and leap. Easy.”

“If you say so.” Julius said nervously. He inhaled and exhaled before running at full speed towards the house. He kicked off, leapt, and landed. He surprised himself by his ability. 

The Ninja approached him."Very good. Now we'll try something a little bit difficult."

"All right, I'm ready!" Julius said, panting in excitement.

"Do a forward flip."

"Got it!" Julius said, trying to hide his nervousness. "Now...how do I do that?"

"Leap, then push your body forward, and land." The Ninja said.

Julius leapt into the air and tried to flip forward. Instead of flipping, he somersaulted into a tree.

"Nice one." Oswald laughed as he and Plop Plop entered the backyard. "Best flip I've seen in years."

"Ugh..hey Oswald." Julius groaned, sitting up and stroking his throbbing head.

Oswald frowned and his tone softened, "Are you okay?" He went over and helped him up, keeping a hand on his back gently.

"Thanks...I'm good." Julius said.

Plop Plop walked over to The Ninja.   
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Plop Plop asked unsure.

“Yes.” The Ninja said. “He helped me beat The Sorcerer. He just needs to get used to the suit.”

“I helped you beat The Sorcerer too.” Plop Plop pointed out.

“You want to be a Ninja?” The Ninja asked, hypothetically 

Plop Plop looked over and saw Julius stumbling while Oswald tried to steady him. “Uh...I think I’ll pass.”

The Ninja smirked. “Julius!”

He hurried over. “Yes Ninja?”

“Maybe we should do something easier for now.” The Ninja said. He put on his mask. “Let's head to the village and show you off. People need to know we’re a team.”

Julius was excited again. He turned to Oswald and Plop Plop, “You guys want to come?”  
Plop Plop looked mostly at The Ninja and smiled. “Yeah, we can come with.”

Plop Plop stood beside The Ninja, who stood beside Julius, next to Oswald. The four of them headed into Norrisville.

……………

Aleu and Matsu were crouched behind the tall grass, stalking a deer. The doe was munching on some pink flowers. The two wolves stayed as quiet as they could and stepped forward. 

“Ready?” Aleu whispered.

“Ready.” Matsu said. The two lunged forward, but Aleu’s paw broke a branch. The sound alerted the doe and she ran off, screaming “Help! Help!”

“Darn it!” Aleu growled as she started to chase after the deer.

“Sweetie, wait!” Matsu said. Aleu stopped and looked over. “I found an easier prey.”

Aleu froze when she saw the prey: A rabbit. Matsu crouched down, arched her back and approached the rabbit.

A memory flashed through Aleu’s mind, almost like her visions:  
…….

One windy night Aleu was gazing at the stars and feeling the cool wind on her fur. Given that the day was hot, this was very relaxing. 

“Um hey...can..can I talk to you?” Aleu looked over and saw Oswald standing there nervously. His ears folded down, and his the toes of his paws touching. 

“Is something wrong?” Aleu asked as he went over and sat beside her. 

“My honey bun's mad at me.” Oswald sighed. “She saw me with my ex girlfriend, Fanny. We had a pretty harsh break up, and she doesn't think I should talk to her anymore. She's afraid she might hurt me.”

“Oh.” Aleu frowned. “What happened?”

“She wanted to get married and have lots and lots of kids. I was fine with that, but...she said I'd have to leave Plop Plop. Then she yelled at me and made me feel terrible.”

Aleu frowned more and nuzzled his cheek. “Oh, Oswald. I'm so sorry.”

“Then she started yelling at me.” Oswald said. “And she threw rocks. Ortensia and her dad came in then, and Ortensia yelled at her. That was the day I realized I loved her.”

“That's so sweet.” Aleu said gently. 

“She thinks I'm going to get hurt again.” Oswald sighed. “But, things have been getting better between us...Fanny's starting to become my friend.”

“Did you tell her that?”

“Of course I did!” Oswald said impatiently. Aleu flinched at his tone. “Sorry. I did, but...Ortensia gets worried so much.” 

“How about next time you're with Fanny I'll back you up?” Aleu suggested.  
Oswald's ears perked up. “Really? Thanks Aleu!” He hugged her tightly. Aleu snuggled closer. She never felt so close to Oswald before, and it was nice. The two sat there and watched the stars, until Oswald fell asleep in front paws, and Aleu did too.

…........

Aleu jumped in front of the rabbit protectively and snarled at Matsu. She stumbled back, and the rabbit looked over in confusion.

“Aleu...” Matsu said, a bit hurt.

“Um, excuse me miss.” As the rabbit spoke, Aleu turned around to face him. “But whatever are you doing?”

“Protecting you, now run!” Aleu said. 

The rabbit nodded once firmly. “Right. Thank you!” He said as he bounded off.

“Aleu, what's wrong with you!?” Matsu growled.

“You know what's wrong.” Aleu replied. “The idea of eating rabbits, I..I just can't!”

“ Well I can! They're my favorite food.” Matsu replied. “And I'm not going to stop eating them because of you!”

“I'm sorry.” Aleu breathed out. “It' just that the thought of eating rabbit is like eating wolf or dog.”

Matsu was repulsed thinking of that. “I'd never eat a wolf. If I did I'm sure my father Akela's ghost would come down and run me out of the pack himself.” She chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.

It worked, Aleu smiled a bit and nuzzled her. Matsu looked over to the left. “Hey look there's a cat-”

She felt the vibrations of Aleu growling on her neck and stopped. “-erpillar. That cute little caterpillar.” 

Aleu pulled back. “Come on, lets just head home.” She yawned. “I'm kind of tired.”

“All right..Lets go.” Matsu said, and the two headed back to the pack.

….......  
The Ninja, Julius, Plop Plop, and Oswald entered the village. The villagers stopped to stare at the new Ninja Cat walking alongside The Ninja.

“Who the heck is that?” The man Julius had often seen at the village shelter spat.

“My, my, it looks like The Ninja has gotten a little companion.” The woman said.

“Or, I reckon that's just his lil' mascot.” The man said. “To spread his good name, or sumthin'.”

“Everyone here loves him.” The woman said. “Why does he need to spread his good name?”

“Maybe, to get in touch with the youth.” The man replied. “I already like him, I don't need a darned cat to remind me, but them kids will love 'im!”

“I'm not a mascot.” Julius thought to himself. “And I'm not a darned cat, either!”

Julius was worried that all the other villagers thought the same thing as the man did. They had mixed reactions: Some would just stare in silencer, some would compliment how adorable he was, and others just thought he was a mascot like the man did.

Then they came across a young lady. Alice. Everyone in the group tensed up at least a little when they saw her coming. Julius grabbed his tail, but when he realized that was a sure tell tale sign of who he was, he dropped it quickly.

She went over, eyeing the new ninja curiously. She turned to The Ninja. “Oh, you got a new helper?”

“He's more like a second ninja.” He explained. “He is my equal, not a sidekick.”

“Yeah, that's Plop Plop's job.” Oswald laughed. Plop Plop crossed his arms and grumbled.

“I can't wait to see you in action!” Alice said excitedly to Julius. “Oh, and I can't wait to tell my best friend too! Well, goodbye!” She skipped off.

“I've fought The Sorcerer, yet I've never been more scared than before that.” Julius said, shuddering a bit. The Ninja put a hand on his back in reassurance.

“It's all right. I used to be terrified about being caught as well.” He explained. “Over time things will get easier. I promise.”

Julius calmed down. “All right...thanks.”

“Now come on, there's something else we need to do.”

Julius nodded and followed, managing to push Alice out of his mind and be excited for whatever was next.  
….........

Mastu and Aleu were snuggled close next to each other. Matsu was sleeping peacefully, but Aleu was squirming and whimpering. She was having a nightmare:

Aleu ran through a darkened Norrisville, not sure where exactly she was headed, but knowing she needed to hurry.

“Ninja! Julius! Plop Plop! Oswald! Ortensia! Messenger! Muru!” Aleu called. No one answered. “H-hello? Anybody? Matsu? Kirai?”

“My, my, looks like a little lost puppy.” Cackled a voice.

Aleu stopped. “Sorcerer!” She growled, arching her back.

“You foolish mutt! You'll never be able to take me on!” 

“The Ninja will stop you!” Aleu barked.

“Oh...The Ninja? You mean this Ninja?!” From the sky dropped The Ninja's corpse. His mask was torn all the way across, reveling his face. 

Aleu felt her knees wobble as she approached him. She whimpered as she nuzzled the body gently. She didn't care if she got blood on her, she just wanted to say her final goodbyes.

"Pitiful. You completely let your guard down to show affection to a corpse!"

A giant green hand came down and slapped her away.

Aleu staggered up, and growled at the sky, which was a black void. 

"You really want to end up like him?" The Sorcerer sneered.

Aleu's stomach growled.

"Sounds like someone's hungry." The Sorcerer said. "I'm completely heartless. Here."

He dropped a hunk of meat in front of Aleu. Despite her better judgment, she walked towards it. It smelled so....irresistible.....

She laid down and sunk her jaws into the meat. It tasted amazing! So juicy, so rare, so delicious!  
She was so caught up in the taste she forgot who gave it to her, until he spoke, "You enjoy your meal?"

Aleu gulped. “W-w-what did you d-do?”

“Why, I did nothing. I just fed you a nice meal of Neko,Usagi,and Okami.” He paused. “Cat, rabbit, and wolf.”

Aleu gagged. That monster! “Their names were so very pretty.” The Sorcerer mused. “Let's see, what were they?....Oh yes! Julius, Ortensia, Oswald, and...Matsu!”

Aleu’s eyes widened and she vomited. Did she call him a monster? No no, she meant demon. 

“You….evil….little…” Aleu said through coughs. The Sorcerer slapped her away again.

“Know your place, you mutt! You chose your pack over them.” Stank shot down and surrounded her, morphing into her wolf back. They snarled, their backs arched, teeth bared, and eyes a bright yellow. “But was it worth it? Your new family is dead, and now your pack hates you for leaving. Not to mention what’s become of your family in Nome.”

“W-w-what? Wh-w-what d-do you...” Aleu trailed off, unable to finish.

A new circle of stank formed in the sky, like a crystal ball.

First it showed her father: “Balto here was gunned down by hunters.”

“N-no you're l-lying!” Aleu barked.

Then her mother: “Poor Jenna. Bitten by a wolf...she contracted rabies and they had to put her down. Isn't it odd your own kind was the downfall of your mother?”

“S-stop..” Aleu stammered. 

Next her brother: “Poor Kodi didn't see that avalanche coming, he was too concentrated on delivering the mail.”

Next Muk and Luk: “They shouldn't have tried to play with a mother polar bear's cubs.”

Finally, Boris and Stella: “Flying low isn't the best with all those predators around.”

“Y-you...I...you...” Aleu tried to speak.

“You think I did this?” The Sorcerer asked, aghast. “It's your fault for leaving! You can blame me for everything you mutt, you need to take responsibility.” 

Aleu panicked. She shouted the only thing that came to mind. "Muru! Muru!"

In front of her appeared her guardian angel, but he was different: His fur was a deep dark red, each ear had two notches each. His teeth were jagged and uneven,one looked broken off at the end. The whiskers on his muzzle were curled and grimy, and his eyes were yellow.

"Whatever is the matter my dear?" He said, his voice as smooth as a jungle snake tricking a mancub into becoming his meal. "You found your place in The Grand Design haven't you?"

Aleu stiffened and her breath hitched. Reluctantly she answered, "I-I th-thought I-I d-did...b-b-but...now everyone is d-d-dead..."  Tears welled in her eyes.

"Everyone?" Muru asked flatly. 

Aleu sniffled and looked at him, puzzled.

"What about us?" Hissed a voice.

Aleu gulped. "P-Plop Plop?"

He and The Messenger appeared in front of her.

Aleu felt joy swell up inside of her. "Plop Plop! Messenger!"

She ran over and nuzzled them, her tears were now from joy rather than sadness. "You're okay!"

Plop Plop started to pet her, but stopped suddenly. Aleu gave him a sad and confused glance. "It's not like you care, mutt..."

Aleu looked shattered. "W-why would you say that! You're both my family!"

"Then why'd you forget we exist?" The Messenger asked.

"I-I didn't...." She whimpered.

Aleu's voice echoed: "Now everyone is d-d-dead..."  
"No! I didn't mean it like that! I-"

The Messenger shot her a silencing glare.

Muru chuckled. He scurried up The Messenger's arm, put his paw to his ear and whispered, "She ate your daughter."

The Messenger gripped her neck. She pawed his face and rammed her head against his chest. She pinned him and snarled in his face.

"It looks like you chose your side." Muru said. Aleu looked up and saw her wolf pack, with mean, approving smiles. 

“N-no!” Aleu barked, causing her pack to move back. “W-wait...I-I...I...please stay....all of you!”

“You already chose the wolves though.” Plop Plop spat angrily. 

“I didn't chose them!” Aleu yelled, panicking. The wolves looked hurt, and backed up, whimpering. 

“If you chose us, why did you attack me?” The Messenger asked, sitting up.

“I didn't chose you either.” Aleu said. The Messenger and Plop Plop back away. Aleu breathed heavily. “W-wait that's not what I meant...”

The Sorcerer laughed, and Aleu whimpered. She laid down and put her paws over her ears, trying to block it out.

She had to get out of here! She ran away, towards the east, then turned to the west. She could see her escape, a paradise with bright green grass,tall trees, and fresh,clear water, far away. Desperate to get out of here, she ran.

She stumbled and lost footing, then fell onto the rocky road. In the distance she eyed the paradise again.  
This filled her with determination and she got up. Her knees were shaky and slightly bloody. Carefully she limped down the road. Suddenly stank shot around her, and she ducked and leapt out of the way. As Aleu jumped, her paw caught a rock and she tripped again, but this time she stumbled down the road. The Sorcerer’s hands swatted and her, wolves growled, and Ninjas had their swords out. 

Aleu fell off the road onto the dark void. When she looked up she noticed the paradise in the distance was gone. Balto appeared a few feet away.

For the first time Aleu felt safe and happy. She hurried over. “Papa! You're alive!” She said, overjoyed as she nuzzled into his neck. She stopped when her father didn’t return the nuzzle. “P-Papa?”

Balto pulled back and spoke with a serious tone, “You left me.”

“B-but d-dad..I-”

“Then you left your pack.” Matsu snarled, appearing next to her dad.

“M-matsu..you know I-”

“And then you left my son.” Said another voice. Aleu looked up and saw a man with short black hair beside her mate. The Ninja’s father. 

“I-I’m sorry.” Aleu said, her ears folding down and tears filling her eyes. They circled around her. Aleu shrunk back in fear, looking for a way out. When she saw a gap she hurried through it.

Then a voice in her head spoke, “They're right you know. You abandoned all of them.”

“N-no I didn't!” Aleu barked out loud.

“Who are you talking to?” Asked a voice that was a mix between The Sorcerer and Muru.

Aleu ignored them and kept running. She skidded to a stop in front of a cliff and looked down. There was nothing except void. She sighed sadly. “...What am I? A pack leader? An honorary ninja? A daddy's girl?”

“You're all three.”

Aleu looked down, and to her relief it was the normal Muru. “Your parents are proud of you Aleu, your pack loves you, and The Ninja has accepted you into his family. You just need to balance everything. A creature without balance will fall.”

Aleu woke up, panting, as she thought over her dream. Then she got a brilliant idea. She turned to her mate and nudged under her chin, “Matsu...Matsu sweetie, wake up.”

Matsu yawned and stretched. “Everything okay, Aleu?”

"Yes, I'm fine." Aleu said. "Gather the pack. I have a announcement."

......

While Aleu was having her nightmare, The Ninja, Julius, Plop Plop, and Oswald were walking through Norrisville.

The Messenger and Ortensia passed by.

"Oh, hi!" Ortensia said, hurrying over to them.

"Ortensia, you could get us caught." Julius whispered worriedly. 

"Oh, I'll be fine!" Ortensia  said, flicking her wrist. "Besides I think the whole village already knows Oswald's my honey bun."

"Right!" Oswald said going over  and giving her a big kiss on the cheek. 

"Where are you guys going?" Ortensia said.

"I don't know." Julius said, "But, I'm excited!"

They stopped in front of a small blacksmith's shop.

The Blacksmith looked up.

"Hello." She said meekly,her face smudged with black grease. "What can I do for you?"

"Hello, Kiyoko." The Ninja greeted. "I need a new sword, about half the size of my current one."

Kiyoko gave him a confused look and wiped the grease off her face with the back of her hand. "You mean a katana?"

"No, a sword."

She got out some metal and started to form it. "Why do you need one so small? Not that it's a problem, I'm just curious."

"It's for my...companion." The Ninja said, gesturing to Julius, then placing his hand firmly on his shoulder.

Julius felt excitement rush through him. A sword! I get my own sword! He pranced around excitedly. The Ninja smiled at his enthusiasm and faced Kiyoko again.  
Kiyoko paused in thought, then her face lit up in understanding. “Oh! You want me to make a dull,little prop sword for your mascot.” She smiled gently. “That’s adorable.”

“No.” The Ninja said firmly. “I mean a real sword.”

Kiyoko looked at him again. “O-oh...aren’t you afraid he might hurt himself...or someone else?”

“He is not my mascot.” The Ninja said. “He is my co-ninja, and he needs a sword.”

“Oh!” Kiyoko said, surprised. “I can do that for you.”

“Thank you!” Julius said excitedly.   
Kiyoko smiled gently. “You're welcome. Come back in a few hours and it will be ready.”

“Is it okay if I hang out with Alice?” Julius asked The Ninja.

“I suppose so.” The Ninja said. Julius started to leave. “Mask.”

“Oh right..heh..sorry.” Julius said. He started to take it off, but then The Ninja quickly pulled him out of plain sight. “Oops...sorry...again...”

“It's all right.” The Ninja sighed. “You'll get used to hiding your identity soon enough.”

“I already am used to it.” Julius said. “I've hidden being your cat for the longest time.”

"I meant with the mask." The Ninja said. "You need to be careful."

"I understand." Julius said. He took off the mask and started to head off, but The Ninja put his arm in front to stop him.

"Never leave in the same direction you went in with the suit on. They'll be able to figure out who you are."

"O-oh right...s-sorry.." Julius wrung his tail nervously and avoided eye contact.

"Julius." The Ninja sighed before crouching down to his level and gently placing a hand on his shoulder. "You're still learning, it's fine."

"Sorry."

"And you don't to apologize for your mistakes either. Now go on and spend time with Alice."

"Thanks." Julius said with a small smile, before he started to exit the same way again. The Ninja quickly turned him the other way. "Heh, oops..."

He went into the village and looked around for Alice. He spotted her by a fruit cart and went over.

"Hey, Julius!" Alice greeted. She held out a fruit to him. "Want an orange?"

"Sure!" Julius said. He peeled the orange with his claws and ate it as they walked.

"Did you hear The Ninja has a cat now?" She asked, putting a slice of orange in her mouth.

"R-really?" Julius asked nervously, almost choking on his snack.

"Mhm. Everyone thinks he's just a mascot, but you know what The Ninja told me?"

"W-what?"

“He said he's a fighter!" Alice said. "Like, another ninja you know?"

"Y-yeah I k-know...I mean...I get what you mean." Julius sputtered out. "T-t-that would be p-pretty neat, right?"  
Alice frowned. "Hey, you okay? You sure are stuttering a lot."

"I-I'm f-fine." Julius said. "Just a l-little bit, c-c-cold." He rubbed his arms for added effect and made his teeth chatter.  
Alice didn't reply for a few seconds.

“It's the middle of summer.” Alice said flatly.

“I-I know...but there as uh...a breeze earlier, and I'm still a bit chilled from it.”

“....Right...” Alice said. She changed her tone to a more friendly one, “So what do you wanna do?”

“How about just a walk?” Julius asked, relieved they were done talking about the new ninja.

“All right.” Alice said with a smile. She grabbed his paw and they walked through the village together.

…...............  
Aleu stood before her pack on a big rock. Matsu stood beside her and gave her a gentle nuzzle.

"I have an important announcement to make." Aleu said. All the wolves paid close attention. "We're moving the pack."

"What!?" Barked the wolves in unison. Aleu tensed up.

"But this is our home!" Barked a black furred puppy.

"Now, Mowgli, settle down and listen." His mother Raksha said.

Her other pups, Grey,Akru, and Sura, whimpered sadly. Her mate Alexander just sighed and idly shook his head.

Another black furred pup with big, beautiful brown eyes sighed in annoyance. "It's not like this is the first time we've moved the pack." 

"Yeah!" Agreed a smaller black furred pup. "Not the first time!"

He got overly excited and bumped into the bigger pup.

"Ow! Ranjan!"

"Oops...sorry Shanti..." He said sheepishly.

“We need to move the pack.” Aleu said. “I know I haven’t been around enough, I’ve been too busy helping the ninja...Alpha..but if we move the pack not only can I lead you, but I can still help The N-..Alpha.”

“B-but then I’ll have to leave Baloo.” Mowgli whimpered.

“Maybe that’s for the best.” Raksha sighed. 

“W-what?”

“She means it’s not safe for a pup to hang around in bear territory.” Alexander explained.

“Even if their cubs are tasty.” Said a yellowish-white wolf named Tikaani as he licked his jowls. 

“B-but…” Mowgli whined more. “Baloo wouldn’t let me get hurt.”

“Sweetie.” Raksha said. “I know it’ll be hard to leave, but we have to listen to Aleu, she’s our leader, and she knows what’s best.”

“Thank you.” Aleu said, relaxing a bit. “I won’t be too bad. I promise.”

She leapt down from the rock, followed by Matsu. The other wolves hesitantly followed her.

“I’m gonna miss it here.” Sighed a female wolf named Kate. She was yellowish-brown with white underfur. She had bangs coming off the side of her head, and brow eyes with thick eyelashes. “Aren’t you, Humphrey?”

“Yeah.” Agreed a dark gray wolf with white underfur, and aqua blue eyes. “It was great here.”

While all the wolves talked to each other, another wolf, and older black and white one, named White Fang stayed silent. It was obvious from his solemn look though that he didn’t want to move either.

Aleu sighed. “Matsu...I’m starting to second guess my idea…”

Matsu nuzzled her gently. “Oh, don’t sweetheart. I think you have a very good reason for moving the pack?”

“You think so?” Aleu asked.

“Yes.” Matsu said gently. “Don't worry. They'll get used to their new home. Like Shanti said, this isn't the first time we moved.”  
“I know.” Aleu sighed. “I just hope it doesn't take too long for them to get used to it.”

Aleu stayed silent the rest of the walk, feeling a bit sick. Eventually they made it to where Aleu usually spent her nights. “Here we are.”

The wolves looked around curiously, smelling around. The pups started to run around and play while their parents looked for a place to rest.

“See, things are going just fine.” Matsu said.

“I just hope it lasts.” Aleu sighed. She sat down and waited for The Ninja return.

…..........

Julius and Alice were continuing their stroll through Norrisville. 

“You think The Sorcerer will ever escape that hole?” Alice asked.

“Of course not!” Julius said, a bit too quickly. “The Ninja will make sure he stays in there!”

“And so will his new companion.” Alice said.

“Y-yeah h-him too.”

“Cold again?” Alice asked, confused.

“Just a little...” He looked up and saw Ortensia approaching him. “O-oh hey sis!”

Alice glared, and pulled Julius to her side protectively, like a mama bear protecting her cubs from a hungry wolf.

“Dad needs you.” Ortensia said. “There's been a change in the mail route.”

“Sorry Alice.” Julius said. “I have to go.”

“Okay...be careful..” Alice said, eyeing Ortensia.

The two cats went back to the blacksmith's hut. Kiyoko was putting the finishing touches on his sword. “And there we go. One sword purrfect for a kitty companion.” She giggled at her own zing as she handed the sword to Julius.

He looked it over with wide eyes. He still couldn't believe this was his sword. He was going to fight with it! “It's so...beautiful..I love it! Thank you!”

“You're welcome.” Kiyoko said with a small smile.

“Lets head back to the house so I can teach you how to use it.” The Ninja said.

“All right!” Julius said, very giddily. The Ninja gave him his mask back and they headed off (After The Ninja redirected Julius from going out the same way he came in.)

The Messenger and Ortensia caught out with them, and Ortensia held her mate's paw tightly.

“He's pretty exited, isn't he?” Oswald asked, smiling at his friend's joy.

"Ooo, I'm so proud of him!" Ortensia said excitedly. 

"We all are." The Messenger said.

Julius blushed and bashfully folded his ears back. "Aw, th-thanks..."

Inside his head, Joy was taking the helm. Though, Fear was on standby.

The group made it to  the backyard. 

"Uh...Did we always have so many wolves around?" Plop Plop asked.

"What?" The Ninja asked. He looked up and his eyes widened at the sight of Aleu's pack. "Aleu!"

Hearing The Ninja, Aleu nervously trudged over to the edge, followed by Matsu.

"Is this your pack?" He asked.

"...Yes..." Aleu replied  hesitantly. Before he could reply she quickly added, "I needed to move them. I can't just leave them anymore! This way I can still help you and stay their leader."

The Ninja stayed silent for a moment. "It's fine Aleu. Just  keep them in line."

"I will." Aleu said, relaxing a bit.

The Ninja turned his attention back to Julius. "Now, hold the sword tightly in your paws."

Julius took his sword and held it like a baseball bat. The Ninja grabbed his paws and pulled them and the sword forward.

"Now, swing it forward in a swift motion." 

Julius did, but he lost his balance. Oswald and Ortensia steadied him quickly.

"Try doing it a bit more slowly first." 

"Heh, right..." Julius swung the sword again. This time it got stuck in the ground. "Oops..."

"Swords are tricky, you'll get the hang of it soon enough." The Ninja reassured his companion.

The sound of villagers screaming filled the air.

"Julius." The Ninja said, now dead serious. "It's time for your first fight."

"Matsu, you keep an eye on the pack." Aleu said. "I'll be back soon." Then she ran off.

Mowgli, the most adventurous of the pups looked around, making sure no one was watching. When he was positive no one was looking he ran after Aleu. He was eager for adventure.

In the village a stank was running wild and roaring. She had red scaly skin, a thin body with one giant claw for a foot. She had dark brown hair down to her shoulders and light yellow eyes.

"Ready?" The Ninja asked.

"R-ready." Julius gulped. Fear had just taken the helm in his mind.

The two of them ran in and started fighting the stank.

She roared and swung her clawed hands at both of them. While The Ninja managed to dodge, Julius got hit and slid into a fruit cart. Lemons,oranges, and apples fell on him.

The villagers laughed, and Julius put his knees to his chest, holding back tears. He felt like a joke. He didn't feel like a ninja at all.

Mowgli watched with wide eyes as The Ninja fought: He jumped into the air and kicked her face, punched her leg, and circled around her for intimidation.

"Yeah! Get her! Get her!" Mowgli cheered, his tail wagging a mile a minute. "Get her!"

He ran around excitedly. "Whoo! Go, Alpha, go!"

As they got further away, Mowgli was having trouble seeing. He decided to get a closer look and ran into the village.

"Whoa!" He said, watching closer. 

“Behind you!” Aleu called to The Ninja. The Ninja leapt out of the way and kicked the stank from behind. “To your left! Your right! Now she-..Mowgli!?”

The Ninja looked up at her sudden yell, and got slapped back by the stank. The villagers gathered around him, worriedly. 

Sure they don't laugh at him! Julius thought. He got up and looked at the stank. Mowgli was crouched down and whimpering. The stank roared and lifted her foot slightly and trapped him like a cage. Mowgli whined more. I'll just let their hero save him. I was never cut out for this...what was I thinking?

The Stank started closing her toes in. Mowgli backed all the way up to her heel, desperate to not get squashed. Julius panicked and ran over. He let out a fierce hiss and clawed the Stank's leg. She let out a yell of pain and got off of Mowgli.

Julius picked him up.

“You're my hero.” Mowgli said, licking his cheek. Julius jumped out of the way before the Stank could strike again. 

Julius hurried over to Aleu and placed Mowgli by her.

“T-thank you.” Mowgli panted out. Aleu picked him up by his scruff.

“You're in big trouble mister!” Aleu said, her tone muffled.

“I just wanted a little fun.” Mowgli whimpered. Aleu went off to return him to his mother, who know doubt would give him an even more intense scolding.

 

Julius looked back and saw The Ninja had started battling the stank again. Now feeling more confident, Julius hurried down to help him.

The stank roared and swung her arms at them. The Ninja dodged, while Julius got hit. He hurried over and helped his companion up.

“Thanks.” He panted. The Ninja then pushed him out of the way before The Stank slashed at them again. Quickly The Ninja glanced the monster over, looking for a way to destank her. Then he spotted a ring on her finger.

“Julius! Get her ring!” He said. 

“You want me to get it?” Julius asked. 

“Yes, go!” The Ninja said.

Hesitantly Julius ran over and dodged more strikes from her. Which hand is her ring on? It was hard to tell by how fast she was swatting at him. Then he saw the flash of robin egg blue on her left hand. He tried to get to her hand and get the ring. He sunk his claws into her hand and reached for the ring.

“Yooooooooou fleeeeeeeeeeeeabaaaaaaaag!” She hissed, trying to shake him off. Julius panicked and started to grab his tail. His tail! He swung his tail down and gripped the ring, then he ripped it off. The woman was destanked and they both fell back. 

“Ugh...w-what happened?”

Julius crouched down to assist her out of habit, but Plop Plop and Oswald hurried over and helped her up.

“Are you okay?” Oswald asked.

“I-I guess so...” She said, groaning a bit and rubbing her head. “What happened?”

“You were turned into a monster.” Oswald explained as he and Plop Plop took her away.

The Ninja went over and put his hand on Julius' shoulder. “Well done, my companion.”

Julius blushed and held his tail in his paws. “T-thanks.”

“Lets go home.” The Ninja said, carrying him off. He couldn't have been prouder of Julius.

….........  
"Curse that ninja!" The Sorcerer yelled. "Curse him and that...that...that feline of his!" He thought it over. "...How long has he had that thing?"

The rat shrugged, having no clue either.

"No matter. I just have two ninjas to kill now." The Sorcerer said, stroking under the rat's chin. "Given how sloppily he fought, that feline will be easy to kill."

The rat squeaked, agreeing.

"I should tell The Sorceress about him."

He picked up one of his orbs and called her.

........ 

The Sorceress was still mourning the entrapment of her beloved Sorcerer. The Peddler could only give her sympathetic glances and words. He longed to be able to hug her and comfort her physically, but he knew that would never happen.

The Sorceress sniffled and saw one of the orbs on her necklace glow. Knowing who it was, she quickly picked it up. “H-h-hello?”

“Hello my love.” He paused for a moment. “Are you all right?”

“N-no! That h-horrid N-ninja t-t-trapped you!” She cried.

“And I will escape soon enough, but right now we have a bigger problem.” 

The Sorceress was puzzled. “A bigger problem? What could be a bigger problem than being trapped?”

“The Ninja has a little sidekick.”

“Sidekick?” The Sorceress sounded disgusted, while The Peddler seemed interested.

“A feline.”

“I hate cats!” The Sorceress hissed.

“I was never fond of those things either.”

“That’s not true.” The Peddler spoke up.

“Who said you could speak?!”

The Peddler kept going, “We had a cat, remember? Tibbs?”

“Ah yes, Tibbs….Then we sold him to make ends meet. Remember?”

“O-Oh...right…” The Peddler said, sheepishly.

“I must go now my dearest Sorceress, goodbye.”

“Goodbye.” The Sorceress said. When he hung up, she started crying.

“Sorceress…” The Peddler said sadly.

“I...I need some time to myself.” She said, heading outside, something she rarely did.

The Peddler looked at her as she left with sad eyes, and sighed.

…..

“Ugh!” The Sorceress groaned as she trudged through the larva pool. “Why did I think this was a good idea!?”

“Hello Sorceress!” Greeted on of the larva attaching herself to her leg. 

“Get off me!” She hissed in reply.

“But, I haven’t seen you in forever!” The larva proclaimed sadly.

“And know you know why.” The Sorceress said through her teeth.

“Hey, Silkie!” Called one of the other larva.

“Oh, hey Slimeball!” She greeted. “You met The Sorceress yet?”

“Oh, I don't think I have!” He gripped to her leg. “Hello, Sorceress!”

The Sorceress rolled her eyes and scowled. “We have met before! You tried to hook me up with your brother, Scuz!”

“Oh right.” He paused for a second. “He's still single by the way.'

The Sorceress groaned in annoyance and trudged through the larva pool, to the swine field. 

“Hey Sorceress!” Oinked a pig. She gripped the bottom of her robe in her mouth.

“Would you kindly let go?” The Sorceress sneered.

“But, I wanna play.” The pig said sadly, her voice mumbled by the fabric.

“Well, I don't.” The Sorceress tugged her robe away, but she lost balance and fell. The piglet snorted and laughed.

“Peppa.” Her mother warned. “What did I tell you about laughing at others?”

“Sorry mama...” Peppa replied.

“You okay?” One of the other pigs named Gordy asked The Sorceress.

She got up and dusted herself off. “No. Everything is going horrible! Besides those larva trying to get me dates, and Porky over grabbing my robe-”

“No, I'm Peppa.” She protested. She pointed her back hoof towards another pig. “That's Porky.”

“....The love of my life is trapped in a hole, my worst enemy has a new partner in crime,I'm stuck here in The Land of Shadows, and I feel so alone!”

“But you're not alone.” Gordy said. “You have that peddler don't you?”

“I suppose I do...but without The Sorcerer....”

“Listen.” Gordy started. “Before we were banished here, I used to be best friends with Wilbur. Now he's all the way over there.” He pointed

"So I don't get to see him anymore." He sighed and looked crestfallen, his ears folded down. Then he perked up. "But, I have a good friend." He pointed to the pig next to him. "Babe and I are really close now."

"Yeah." Babe said, smiling. "Pig power in The Land of Shadows!"

Gordy chuckled. 

"He says that all the time." Babe explained.

"And thanks to Babe I can say it in sheep too!" Gordy said excitedly. He cleared his throat. "Baaaaa baaaa baaa baaaaaa baaaaaaaaaaa baaaaa !"

"Good, but the last one is baaaaaaaaaaaa not baaaaa.

"Oh right!" Gordy said. "It's 'Pig   
Power in The Shadow Lands' not 'Pig Power in The Shadow Bear."

The two pigs laughed it off. Gordy turned back to The Sorceress, "See? I'm just  glad to have a friend close by."

"That's very cheesy, but I see your point." The Sorceress said, and went off.

"She didn't even say thanks." Gordy snorted.

Babe looked over. "Did you expect her to?"

"....No....."

.......

The Sorceress headed back to the cave. The Peddler looked depressed, but when he saw The Sorceress he smiled. "Y-you're back!"

"Everyone out there is so annoying." The Sorceress said, rolling her eyes. "You are too, but you're the least annoying."

She smirked and The Peddler laughed a little bit.

The Sorceress sat against the wall, next to The Peddler.

"Are you feeling better?" The Peddler asked gently.

"Not really." The Sorceress said. "But, I'll be fine."

"Wanna play I Spy?" The Peddler asked.

The Sorceress allowed herself a small smile. "All right. I get to go first."

The Peddler smiled. "Go ahead."


	10. A Book Begins

The Ninja sat on his bed, looking out the window. It had been years since Julius had become his companion. Things were going great! The two of them had a great dynamic, and fought off stanks very well together. Julius was getting used to doing Ninja things as well:

  
  


He didn’t exit the same way he entered, he could properly handle his sword, and he didn’t get flung around as easily anymore. Another plus was that since he saved Grey, the villagers started to see him as The Ninja’s equal, not his mascot or pet. Even the man Julius often saw at the shelter said, “Shoot, that cat is a brave lil’ fella, ain’t he?”

  
  


The Ninja sighed and laid on the bed. Both he and Julius were getting older, and he knew they couldn’t protect the village forever. Knowing full well The Sorcerer wouldn’t give up until he was free, they needed a new ninja to take over.

 

 _I'll train a new ninja to take over._ He thought as he got up to help prepare breakfast. _Then they can train the next ninja when their time comes, and so on._

 

He got some bread, chicken, and fruit out and placed it on the table, still deep in thought. _But where do I start? What if I forget something vital while teaching them?_

 

Julius, Plop Plop, and Oswald noticed he was acting odd. They looked at each other worriedly, and then without a word, Julius went over. _  
  
_The Ninja was using a small knife to cut the bread into slices. _  
  
_"Are you okay?" Julius asked, taking the knife from him in case it slipped. _  
  
_"Huh?" The Ninja said, a bit dazed. He hadn't even noticed his companion approach. He quickly shook himself out of it. "Yes, I'm fine,but....After breakfast we need to talk, okay?" _  
  
_"...O-okay." Julius said, feeling his stomach churn. /Oh no. I messed up somehow, didn't I? I thought I was doing so well!/ _  
  
_He went back to the table, unable to control his shakiness. _  
  
_"Everything okay?" Oswald asked. _  
  
_"I-I don't k-know." Julius said. "He j-just said that a-after breakf-fast, we n-need to t-talk." _  
  
_"What, you think he's gonna fire you?" Plop Plop asked smugly with a small smirk. _  
  
_Julius held his tail and nodded nervously with big sad eyes. _  
  
_Plop Plop frowned. "Oh." _  
  
_The Ninja came over with the bread and chicken. Julius had lost his appetite, but he took a piece of chicken and started eating. _  
  
_Oswald took some grapes, while Plop Plop and The Ninja took some bread and spread marmalade on it. (Well, The Ninja did, Plop Plop just gobbed it on.) _  
  
_Julius was feeling more anxious. He needed some air. "I-I'll bring out the pack's breakfast today." _  
  
_"All right." The Ninja said, taking a bite of bread. _  
  
_Julius went over to the table and found the chicken for the wolves. He took the plate outside. _  
  
_"Good morning Julius." Aleu said. _  
  
_"Morning." Julius said with a small smile. He went over with with the plate and set it beside her. Aleu sniffed it and happily took her share.

 

“Thank you.” Aleu said when she finished. She grabbed the plate and she and Julius went over to the pack.

 

The now grown Mowgli smiled when he saw them and ran over. “There’s my hero!” He licked his cheek excitedly.

  
  


Julius forgot about his worries and giggled. “Hey, Mowgli!” Mowgli noticed the chicken and took his share.

  
  


“I’m surprised you brought our breakfast today.” Mowgli said between bites.

  
  


“Yeah...I just needed a little change of pace, you know…” Julius said awkwardly, gripping his arm. He tried to hide his worry with a smile. “And of course I had to say good morning to my biggest fan!”

  
  


Mowgli smiled widely and licked his cheek again. Soon the other wolves gathered and got their breakfast.

  
  


“Well...I better go back inside and finish breakfast.” Julius said, awkwardly.

  
  


“I’ll see you during patrol.” Aleu said with a small smile.

  
  


“Y-yes...patrol.” Julius said. He took his time getting inside.

  
  


“Good morning!” Ortensia greeted, a small giggle in her voice like usual.

  
  


“Hey sis.” Julius said. He sat down and continued breakfast. The Messenger smiled and tipped his hat in greeting. Julius waved.

  
  


“Are you all set for patrol?” Ortensia asked.

  
  


“Yes.” Julius said way too quickly. He avoided eye contact with The Ninja. They finished up breakfast.

  
  


“Julius.” The Ninja said firmly. Julius gulped and followed The Ninja. “We need to talk.”

  
  


Julius felt cold and gripped his tail tightly.

  
  


“I think it’s time we think about new ninjas.”

  
  


“N-new Ninjas?” Julius asked nervously.

  
  


“Yes. We need someone new to take over, when we-”

  
  


“I’m so sorry!” Julius cried. “Please, please don’t fire me! I wanna stay your companion! I-”

  
  


The Ninja put his hand up and Julius stopped. “Julius, what are you talking about?” He sounded puzzled.

  
  


“Y-y-y-you’re f-f-f-fi-firing m-m-me!” Julius sobbed.

  
  


“What?” The Ninja asked, dumbfounded.

  
  


‘Y-y-you j-j-just s-s-s-said tha-that we nee-needed n-new n-ninjas..” Julius sniffled.

  
  


“That’s not what I meant.” The Ninja explained, sighing a bit. “Look. We’re both getting older, and we need to think about the future of Norrisville.”

 

Julius now felt nervous for other reasons: The thought of having to stop being a ninja. I thought that one day he'd.....he shuddered before he finished that thought.

  
'O-oh, I...I understand.' Julius said, managing to calm down a bit.  
  
The Ninja looked up at the ceiling. “We'll discuss this later. Right now we need to patrol.”  
  
“Right!” Julius said. No matter how bad of a day he had, patrol always made him feel better, now that he was actually fighting and not just escorting people to the shelter.  
  
They both put on their masks and headed back to the kitchen.  
  
“All set?'”Ortensia asked.  
  
“Yes.” The Ninja said. 'Let's head out.'  
  
The group headed out. Right now things were peaceful, meaning The Sorcerer hadn't attempted his daily attack yet. With so many villagers and so many emotions, it was easy for him to creature at least one monster a day. Sometimes he even sent out multiple monsters a day. He was utterly desperate to catch The Ninja and his companion.  
  
As they walked through the village, The Ninja was making mental notes of who could be the next ninja (And companion too.)  
  
He saw a young butcher who (ironically) had a pet pig.  
  
\The butcher's very strong, but would he resort to violence first instead of attempting a peaceful resolution?\  
  
He watched the pig. A butterfly landed on her nose, and she snorted angrily. "Listen wise guy, you better get off my snout now!"  
  
The Ninja kept looking. There was a little girl playing with her dog.  
  
"Good boy!" She said, petting him. "Good boy!"  
  
The dog licked her cheek and she giggled.  
  
/They're so...innocent. Do I really want to take that innocence away from them?/  
  
Then he saw Alice. He had a feeling Julius wouldn't he happy if he chose her.  
  
Julius saw her and quickly hid behind a pickle barrel to demask. To avoid raising suspicions, Julius talked to her at least twice a day. He secretly handed his mask to The Ninja and went over to Alice.  
  
"Hey Alice!" Julius greeted.  
  
"Good morning Julius." Alice replied. "It's nice out today, isn't it?"  
  
"It's so warm out, I love it!" Julius said with a huge smile.  
  
Alice giggled. "Me too! Wanna head to the pond later?"  
  
"Sure!" He said, grinning. "I just need to finish up some things around the village first."  
  
"I know." Alice said. She saw The Messenger and Ortensia, then bit her lip. She quickly looked back to Julius. "....Stay safe...."  
  
She left and Julius re suited.

 

“I'm going to the pond with Alice later.” Julius whispered, fearful someone would over hear. The Ninja nodded once and they kept going on their patrol.

  
Screams filled the village, and Julius and The Ninja leapt into action. They caught sight of the stank: A dark green, iguana like monster, with red spikes slicked back on his head, back and tail. His fingers and toes each had thin, sharp, dark blue claws, and his eyes were a bright yellow.

  
  


The stank roared and swung his arms and tail at people and buildings. The two ninjas circled him, looking for a way to destank him. He tried to hit Julius with his tail, but he got out of the way. While he turned towards Julius to attack again, The Ninja grabbed his tail. The stank turned around and snarled at him. While he was distracted, Julius swung his sword and hit his back. The stank roared in pain and faced Julius, but then something else caught his eye: A young woman had gotten her foot caught in a root.

 

Knowing she'd be an easy target, the stank hurried over. Julius froze when he saw who it was: Alice. He involuntarily hissed and ran over before the monster could reach her. The Ninja, surprised by his sudden speed, went after them both.

 

Alice panicked and tried to free her leg. To her surprise the companion stood in front of her protectively and hissed, his back arched. He scratched the stank, not letting down his defense. Neither The Ninja nor Alice ever saw him be so protective of anyone.  
  
"Companion!" Aleu suddenly yelled. Before Julius could heed her warning, the stank slashed Julius's leg. He held onto it and hissed in pain, but he didn't leave Alice's side.  
  
The Ninja rushed to Julius and stood in front of him. He blocked the monster's hits with his sword.  
  
The two fought while Julius, trying to hide his pain, protected Alice.  
  
The Ninja cut a golden bracelet on his wrist, destanking him. Ortensia and The Messenger went over and helped him up.

Julius finally let his defense down and held his leg in pain. The Ninja picked him up and started heading home.

 

“My leg..” Julius whined, holding it tighter.

 

“I'm sorry.” The Ninja said, sounding distressed. “I should have gotten over there sooner.”

 

“No, it's fine....” Julius said, wincing. “I shouldn't have rushed in without you. It's just that...Alice...”

 

“I understand.” The Ninja said, sympathetically as he stroked his back. Julius purred weakly and snuggled close to his chest.

 

The Ninja laid him on the bed and got a wet towel. The Ninja removed Julius’s mask and started scrubbing the area. Julius winced, but after a while it started to feel kind of nice. He relaxed and even fell asleep for a while. Twenty minutes later though, Plop Plop, Oswald, Ortensia, The Messenger, and even Aleu hurried in.

  
  


Their combined worried jabber woke him up. Ortensia rushed over and gave him a big hug. “Oh, Julius!” She cried and held on tighter.

  
  


“It’s okay, Ortensia.” Julius said, gently patting her back in comfort. “I’m fine.”

  
  


“B-b-but your l-l-leg….” She sniffled.

  
  


“Will be just fine.” Julius said. “It’s stinging a lot less than earlier.”

  
  


“Sorry. I didn’t know he’d strike so suddenly.” Aleu apologized.

  
  


“It’s fine. He _did_ come in pretty _fast_.” Julius said. “But you did the best you could in warning me, so thank you.”

  
  


Aleu flashed a small smile. “You’re welcome.”

  
  


“Wow, that looks bad.” Plop Plop said. Everyone glared at him. “What?”

  
  


“What I’m sure Plop Plop was _trying_ to say,” Oswald said, sneering a bit at his friend’s comment, “is that even though it looks bad now, it will no doubt get better soon.”

  
  


“No. I meant it looks bad.” Plop Plop said. Oswald pulled his ears and tapped his foot, fighting back the urge to yell.

  
  


The Messenger sat on the bed and stroked Julius’s head gently. “Are you okay?”

  
  


“I’m fine.” Julius said, hugging onto The Messenger’s arm. He yawned. “I’m a little tired though.”

  
  


The Ninja took off his mask and scooped Julius into his arms, like he used to do when he was a newborn. Gently he cradled him and rocked him to sleep. Then he laid down and pulled him close.

  
  


Aleu smiled at the scene and started leading everyone out. She had _almost_ everyone behind her. “Ahem. Plop Plop.’

  
  


“What?”

  
  


She nodded her head towards the door. Confused, Plop Plop followed her.

The Ninja pulled Julius closer to his chest. He listened to his light purring and smiled. Slowly he fell asleep too.

…...........

In The Land of Shadows, The Sorceress and The Peddler were playing I Spy. The Sorceress was leaning against the cave wall, idly throwing a ball of stank back and forth in her hand.

  
  


“I Spy....I Spy...” The Peddler had been repeating for the last two minutes. When you're stuck in a cave for years and constantly play I Spy, you're bound to run out of new things to spy. He pretty much gave up, and spotting the stank in her hand said, “I Spy something purple.”

  
  


Boredly, The Sorceress looked at the stank in her palm. “It's....” She paused for a moment, then shot up. Excitedly she said,, “It's the key to your escape from those shackles!”

  
  


“Is there a purple ninja in here?” The Peddler asked in confusion.

  
  


“No, you fool! This!” She put the stank ball close to his face.

  
  


“B-but...Blurryface said only a n-ninja can free me.”

  
  


“I know.” The Sorceress said. “So I'll _create_ a ninja!”

  
  


“Out of that?”

  
  


“Yes.” She said. She shot the stank at the ground and started forming it as if it were a pot on a wheel. Slowly it took the form of a ninja. When it was created, it looked blankly at it's master, waiting for her command.

  
  


“Free him.” The Sorceress said, pointing to The Peddler. The Stank Ninja took out it's stank sword and went over. It examined the shackles for a moment and then stuck it's sword in. At first it tried to turning it like a key...nothing. Next The Ninja slashed at them, still nothing. Next it climbed the wall, just above the shackles and tugged them. Nothing worked.

  
  


The Sorceress snarled a bit and returned the ninja to the power orbs. She had another idea. She went outside the cave and picked up the first creature who walked by. He screamed in fear and hid his face with his hands.

The Sorceress examined him: He had light brown fur, a small circular body, head, and tail, furless and human like arms and legs, a pig-like nose, brownish-yellow eyes, and he wore an aviator cap and a scarf.

  
  


“Perfect.” The Sorceress said. “What's your name?”

  
  


“B-B-Beast...Beastly.” He managed to say. “P-p-please let me go...I-I'm just trying to find b-b-bears. N-no H-heart says their s-s-stare is powerful e-enough to e-escape t-the-”

  
  


“You've even got a scarf.” The Sorceress said, holding it in her hand. “Good.”

  
  


She tore off his aviation cap and scarf. Then she tied the the scarf around his head. “There. Now you try and free him.”

  
  


“Free him?” Beastly sounded confused. “How?”

  
  


“Just pull on his shackles or something!”

  
  


Beastly whimpered and went over to The Peddler. He tried yanking the chains, but nothing happened. The Sorceress pulled him back by his scarf headband. This time she wettend some leaves and formed them into a ninja suit.

  
  


"Now, try again." The Sorceress said. Beastly nervously tried again. Still no luck. "Ugh! All right, get out." **  
  
**Beastly tore apart the wet leaf ninja suit,tied his scarf back on his neck, and placed his aviator cap back on his head. Then he quickly left, no doubt to look for those bears he had mentioned. **  
  
**"It's hopeless." The Peddler sighed. "I'm never going to be free!" He sniffled and his eyes filled with tears. The Sorceress hated  how pathetically sad he looked. **  
  
**"....I may have one more idea." The Sorceress said, making Him perk up a bit. She cleared her throat and in a loud, strong, powerful voice proclaimed, "From this day forth, I am a ninja!" Then she gathered stank in her palms and shot it at the shackles. They didn't break. So, she went over and tugged on them. "Darn it!" **  
  
**"Don't feel bad." The Peddler comforted. "Blurryface probably did all she could to avoid loopholes." **  
  
**"She was more clever than I thought." The Sorceress hissed. **  
  
**They were both silent for a moment. **  
  
**"Want to play I Spy?" **  
  
**........ **  
  
**Julius woke up a few hours later and rubbed his eyes. The pain in his leg had gone down a bit more, which was a good sign. **  
  
**Shortly after The Ninja woke up. **  
  
**"I'm going to go hang out with Alice now." Julius said, carefully getting out of bed, trying not to put a lot of pressure on his leg. **  
  
**The Ninja frowned. "Are you sure your leg is well enough?" **  
  
**"I'm fine. It's feeling a lot better than an hour ago." Julius reassured. "Besides, I promised Alice we'd hang out by the pond." **  
  
**The Ninja sighed. "All right...If you're sure, you can go...." **  
  
**Julius smiled. "Thanks." Then he went off. **  
  
**"Oh,Julius..." The Ninja sighed. **  
  
**Julius carefully walked into the village, looking for Alice. He spotted her by a flower cart, looking at some bluebells. **  
  
**"Hey, Alice!" **  
  
**Alice smiled. "There you are! I've been waiting for you!" **  
  
**"Heh s-sorry...I was uh...taking a nap..." Julius said awkwardly, scratching the back of his head and avoiding eye contact. **  
  
**His tone made Alice purse her lips. "I see..." She quickly snapped out of it and said, "Well,...lets go!" **  
  
**They headed towards the pond. **  
  
**"Uh, hey, Julius, you okay? You're limping." Alice said worriedly. **  
  
**"I'm fine." Julius said. "I just...fell....earlier. It's no big deal." **  
  
**Alice frowned _. I bet his sister and that no good messenger did this! That cat probably scratched him!_

  
  


They made it to the pond, and Julius sat down, wincing a bit. Alice sat by him and picked up a stone. She tossed a rock against the surface. It skidded across the surface before plopping into the water. Julius picked one up to and tossed it. It plunked into the water right away.

  
  


“Need help?” Alice asked.

  
  


“No, I got it.” Julius said, tossing another one. It fell straight into the water. Alice tossed another rock. Julius tried again and frowned when it didn't skip.

“Are you sure?” Alice asked.

  
  


“...All right.” Julius said. Alice grabbed his wrist and he flinched a bit. She placed a stone in his hand, and turned his wrist. The rock skipped across the water. He smiled. “Thanks.”

  
  


He picked up another stone and tried again. This time it skipped once before falling into the water.

  
  


“You're getting better!” Alice said. Julius tried again, and this time it skipped twice. “Good job!”

  
  


Julius felt pretty good and picked up another stone. It was still only two skips, but he knew if he really tried he could get three. For the time being though, it was only twos. After a while Alice stuck her feet into the water and moved her feet back and forth. Julius sat beside her, but didn't dare put his paws in, remembering last time.

“I got a job with the vendors.” Alice said.

  
  


“Really?” Julius was genuinely interested. “Which cart?”

  
  


“The banana cart.” She said, kicking her feet, creating small splashes.

  
  


“So not even one of the cool carts?” Julius teased. Alice raspberried him and they both laughed. Alice playfully slugged him and the arm and Julius pushed back. When she was on her back, Julius tackled her, and they wrestled in the dirt, laughing. It was as if they were still children.

  
  


Alice giggled and sat up, brushing herself off. “I hope this dirt comes out.”

  
  


“You must have stained _thousands_ of petticoats in your life.” Julius said. “You should be the master at getting stains out now.”

  
  


“Maybe I am.” Alice giggled again. “Wanna go for a walk?”

  
  


“Sure.” Julius said, smiling. He grabbed her hand and off they went.

  
  


….............

Aleu was leading Oswald, Ortensia, The Messenger, and Plop Plop through a walk in the mountains. Aleu paused and let the breeze brush against her fur.

  
“It's so nice out today. I love it!” She said.

  
  


Yeah...nice..." Plop Plop said sarcastically.  
  
Aleu chuckled. "Come on Plop Plop, everyone else is enjoying  themselves."  
  
Plop Plop looked back at the others. Ortensia and Oswald were holding paws and skipping together. The Messenger was smiling at their cuteness.  
  
Plop Plop sighed in annoyance. "All right, fine. I'll try to enjoy mysel-"  
  
He paused when he saw Aleu had stopped mid step, mouth agape. All of them new Aleu was having a vision and hurried to her side.  
  
A few moments later she snapped out of it.  
  
"What was it?" Ortensia asked.  
  
"Was it The Sorcerer?" Oswald asked.  
  
"No. It was weird. It was a store..." Aleu said, confused. "I-I don't know why I saw that."  
  
"Maybe your visions are out of whack." Plop Plop suggested.  
  
"Maybe..." Aleu said, sounding a bit worried.  
  
Plop Plop frowned and gently put his arm around her neck. "Hey, I was just kidding."  
  
"I know." Aleu replied "But...What if you're right? What if my visions are fading?”

  
  


“Aleu, relax.” Plop Plop said.

  
  


“I can't! What if I'm losing my power!?”

  
  


“Is this the first time this has happened?” The Messenger asked.

  
  


“Yeah…” Aleu said. “But, what if it happens again?”

  
  


“It’s been quite a few years.” The Messenger said. “Maybe your power is going away with age?”

  
  


“Maybe….” Aleu sighed, looking away. “But then you won't have a use for me, and well...”

 

“What?” Ortensia asked, sounding hurt. “Aleu, you're our family!”

 

"But the reason I am is because of my power! ' Aleu whimpered.  
  
Ortensia hugged her tightly. 'You'll always be family, Aleu.'  
  
'Thanks Ortensia.' Aleu said, smiling gently. Then Oswald came over and joined in the hug. Then The Messenger came over and engulfed them all in a big bear hug. Plop Plop hesitated.  
  


After a moment he went over and joined in the hug.

  
  


“Thanks everyone.” Aleu said, nuzzling him. Everyone pulled back.

  
  


“Why don’t we continue our walk?” The Messenger suggested.

  
  


“Yeah.” Aleu said. “Let's go!”

  
  


They splashed through a few puddles, getting their feet (or paws, and fur) wet. Aleu shook her fur, splashing everyone.

  
  


“Hey!” Plop Plop grumbled.

  
  


“Heh, sorry.” Aleu giggled.

  
  


“Oh, you will be.” Plop Plop said, smirking. He pushed her into the puddle, and the two wrestled, laughing,

  
  


“Now we’re soaking wet!” Aleu giggled. They sat up and she shook her fur more. Plop Plop splashed her more and she laughed. Plop Plop turned and pulled Oswald into the puddle.

  
  


Oswald grumbled and hit him in the arm. Plop Plop only splashed him with water in reply. Ortensia giggled watching them and grabbed her dad’s hand. The Messenger followed her into the puddle.

  
  


They all sat there, splashing each other, feeling youthful. After a while they got out and continued their walk, still giddy and giggly.

  
  


“Hey look, a butterfly!” Aleu said between giggles. “You bet I can catch it?”

  
  


“Yeah, go get it!” Plop Plop said.

  
  


“All right!” Aleu said. She crouched down as if she was stalking a deer and crawled, trying not to startle the insect.

  
  


“Oh, looks like a nice flower!” The butterfly said, landing a big purple one with white stripes along the side. She started drinking the nectar. “Mmm!”

  
  


Aleu was behind the flower, her rump in the air, and ready to pounce. Carefully she leapt forward, startling the butterfly.

  
  


“Come back here!” Aleu laughed.

  
  


The butterfly stopped mid air. “Oh...You just wanna play?”

  
  


“Yeah!” Aleu said.

  
  


“All right!” The butterfly giggled before taking off again. Aleu chased after her for a while, until she landed on a rock. “You're a pretty nice wolf. What's your name?”

  
  


“I'm Aleu! Who are you?”

  
  


“I'm Lilac. You can see why.” The butterfly replied, flapping her light purple wings gently.

  
  


“Looks like you caught her!” Aleu and Lilac looked over to see Plop Plop, The Messenger, Oswald, and Ortensia hurry over.

  
  


“Who-...Who are they?” Lilac asked nervously.

  
  


“Oh! That's my family!” Aleu said, smiling widely.

  
  


“Oh how sweet!” Lilac said. She looked at the sun. “Oh, I've gotta go! My mate might be worried if I'm not home soon. Goodbye!” She flew off.

  
  


Aleu turned to her family. “Hey, I'll race ya' to that big tree over there!” Before anyone could reply, she ran off, getting a head start.

  
  


“No fair!” Oswald laughed, and they all ran after her.

….................

The Ninja was getting bored of sitting around at home, he needed to get out.

He grabbed his mask and put it in his robe just in case, then headed outside. It was a nice sunny day outside, and everyone was chatting among themselves. It still surprised The Ninja how quickly they could get over an attack by The Sorcerer and act like everything was normal again.

  
  


He still kept his eyes out for potential Ninjas.

  
  


There was a teenage boy with a dog. He looked very out of place though. The dog whimpered as he looked around. The boy pet the dog. “You okay Einstein?”

 

The dog whimpered again.

 

“Come on, lets go find Doc!” The two went off. Figuring that this boy needed to find a doctor, he kept looking.

 

At the same time he kept thinking of what he'd teach the next ninja. He still didn't know how he could keep everything in order. He passed by a shop and paused. In the window was a black book with a shiny cover. It was so beautiful.

 

The Ninja went inside the shop and picked it up, running his hand over the cover. It felt very smooth. It was perfect! He could write a book for future Ninjas!  
  
He picked it up and headed over to the young woman in the front. She smiled widely. "Hello sir." She looked at the book. "Is that all you'd like to purchase?"  
  
"Yes." The Ninja said, digging out money and handing it over.   
  
"Thank you. Have a good day sir!"  
  
"You too." The Ninja said with a smile, then he headed out.  
  
As he headed back home he examined the cover. _Hm...I could probably decorate it a bit and make it look nice. Red and  green would work nice._  
  
He headed inside and placed the book down. Then he walked towards The Ninja's Squire's Quarters and paused. He inhaled and exhaled sharply before going in.  
  
Dust coated everything, the mats, the floor, and the windows, blocking out the light....It was pretty eerie.  
  
The Ninja squinted his eyes and looked around. He spotted The Green Ninja's Squire's mat and went over. As he looked for his  paints, a mural caught his eye.  
  
His wall was painted with vibrant colors. In the center were all the squires, sans Plop Plop. Above them was a baby blue sky with a pastel rainbow above them, each end resting on a small puffy cloud outlined in blue. They all looked happy, standing together on light green grass, holding hands. United.  
  
Off to one side the wall was colored a dark, almost black, gray. Almost all The Ninjas except The Red Ninja and The Green were drawn there. Unlike the squires, they were portrayed as demons: With horns, sharp protruding fangs, and red eyes. Beneath them were flames painted with bright metallic reds, yellows, and oranges.  
  
To the other side were The Red Ninja, The Messenger, Plop Plop, Ortensia, Oswald, and Julius, in full clown makeup, looking fully ridiculous. Even though this was obviously painted before they all made amends, it still made him feel sick to look at it.

 

His eyes darted around, looking for where The Green Ninja was in all of this chaos of a mural. Then he spotted him above the rainbow. He didn't look like the way anyone else was portrayed. Not normal, a demon, or even a clown. He looked...perfect. It felt almost as if he was intended to be the focal point of the mural. The Ninja stared at it for another moment before looking for the paints again.

 

He found him next to the wall and picked them up. He found some brushes and left the room. He exhaled to calm himself from the memories. He sat down, dusted off the paints and got to work.

  
  


He started with some gray circles in the corners, then some nines circling into the center.

 

 _So far so good_ The Ninja thought. He knew it was going to be a bit before the paint would dry and he could continue, so he went to the kitchen to make some tea. As the water warmed he looked around the house. Despite what others may have assumed of him being a loner, he was actually pretty lonely without his family around. Not to mention bored. He hoped they'd be back soon. When the water warmed he mixed in the tea leaves and drank it slowly.

 

When he was done he checked the book to see if it was dry yet. Next he chose red. In the corners The Ninja painted a bunch of nines scrunched together in each corner. Then he painted two red circles, one thin and one thick, and in the center a red circle. After this dried he took the green paint and painted a small ninja mask in the center, maneuvering the brush so red still showed were the mask lines and eye opening were.

 

The back cover was basically the same, except no red circle in the center or little green ninja mask. Then on the spine The Ninja added some more gray circles, and two red nines on either end. Proud of his work he went outside for some fresh air....and to look some more.

 

He spotted a group on young children playing together, spinning in circles, laughing, and even drawing pictures in the dirt. They had a shaggy looking light brown dog who joined them. He barked and put his rear end in the air. A little girl giggled and put him into a bear hug. The dog licked her and she fell into a giggle fit on the ground.

 

The Ninja would have to find out more to see if they were suitable candidates, so he made sure to keep her in mind. He headed home and looked over the book again, then sat down and flipped through the blank pages. They were full of possibility. He just didn't know what to start writing. The Ninja got out the ink and waited for inspiration to kick in. After about ten minutes he sighed and put the book back, and went to get more tea.

 

The idea of having to write a whole book for the future ninja gave him a headache, but he knew it would be worth it in the end. Maybe a change of scenery would help....and the next day he was guarding The Sorcerer....Perfect!

 

 _This is the only time The Sorcerer could help me._ The Ninja chuckled to himself.

  
  


 


	11. Writing The Nomicon Part 1

On a very hot and humid day, The Ninja, Julius, Oswald, Plop Plop, and The Messenger sat near The Sorcerer's hole, while Aleu laid on the hill, panting from the heat. In the sky cicadas buzzed and flew around. Ortensia entered with a tray of lemonade.

 

"I'm back!" She said, putting the tray down and sitting next to her mate. Oswald wrapped his arms around her and kissed her cheek. Ortensia giggled and kissed back.

 

Guarding The Sorcerer's cell was something they did at least three times a month, the beginning, middle, and end. They wanted to monitor changes of any kind. Like: 'Is he getting more powerful?' 'Less powerful?' 'Is he finally remorseful for his actions?' and most importantly, 'Is he still in that hole.' They also tried to just look like a group of friends, rather than anyone affiliated with The Ninja. Plop Plop was able to convince people he and Oswald had other friends besides The Ninja. The most important thing though was The Sorcerer couldn't see them, he could only hear them.

 

The Ninja looked at the book in his lap. He'd intended to start writing, but he still had no idea where to start.

 

Luckily his family was there to give him some advice:

 

"What are you thinking of writing?" The Messenger asked. "A book of lessons? Or basic guidelines?"

 

"I'm...I'm not sure." The Ninja said.

 

"Don't make it boring." Plop Plop said, laughing a bit. "You can be really boring sometimes."

 

The Ninja's mouth went straight. "Thanks..."

 

"Ooo! You could write it as a poem!" Ortensia suggested excitedly. "Your duty as The Ninja.....um....What rhymes with ninja?"

 

 

"I have an idea." Julius said. Everyone looked over. "What if you wrote them like riddles? I mean, The Ninja should have a strong mind right?"

 

"That's brilliant, Julius!" The Ninja said. "Being riddles could also teach The Ninja to be independent. What help would be it be to tell them exactly how to do something? As a ninja they need to rely on their own cunning and strength."

 

"You...You like my idea?" Julius asked, bashfully.

 

"Yes." The Ninja said. "It will be perfect! Now, we just need to brainstorm some lessons."

 

The seven of them sat there in thought.

 

Plop Plop chimed up first, "You use weapons a lot, right? Why not write something about those?"

 

"Like what?" The Ninja asked.

 

"Uh.." Plop Plop hesitated. "How...important it is?....I guess?"

 

"That sounds like the beginning of an idea." The Ninja said. "We'll start with that. Anyone else want to add on?"

 

"Weapons are important!" Oswald chimed in.

 

"I think that's already common knowledge honey bun." Ortensia said.

 

"You're right Ortensia." The Ninja said. "But, maybe emphasizing their importance is a good thing."

 

Plop Plop turned to Julius, "Yeah, because we all know what happens when you forgot your weapon."

 

Julius felt his face become warm. "H-h-hey! That was one t-time!"

 

"Oh, and what a time it was." Plop Plop said, smirking.

 

.........

 

_The Ninja and Julius were doing their daily patrol. There didn't seem to be any danger yet, but knowing The Sorcerer there would be soon. Since his ability to turn people into monsters was based one emotion, they'd told the others to make sure people weren't distressed, and if they were to comfort them. The more monsters they could prevent, the better._

 

_"See anything Aleu?" The Ninja called up._

 

_"Not yet!" She yelled down. "I'll tell you if I see anything!"_

 

_"All right!" The Ninja said before going on. Julius sighed. As fun as being a ninja was, it sure could get boring._

 

_Aleu paused mid step and her eyes began to glow. She had a vision of a large, dark purple monster. His underfur was a light purple and his main coat had dark blue spots on it. His head was full of stringy black hair. His hands and feet had dark blue claws, and three sharp fangs protruded from his mouth._

 

_Aleu snapped out of it quickly. "Ninja! There's a monster on the north end of the village!" Then she got another vision: There was another stank, a weasel like one with red fur and maroon stripes, Her whiskers were twisted and her ears were notched. Two sharp fangs were visible. "A-and another one on the south end!"_

 

_The Ninja and Julius looked at each other nervously. Quickly The Ninja said, "You take the monster on the south end, and I'll take the one on the north end."_

 

_"Got it!" Julius said. They went their separate ways to the opposite ends of town._

 

_The Ninja cornered the purple monster against a building. When he saw The Ninja he roared and swung a paw at him. The Ninja quickly leapt out of the way, and took out his sword. With it, he dodged more hits from the stank. He jumped atop a building and looked for a way to destank him. The monster swiped at him again and he ducked, before leaping down to face him head on. Then he saw a necklace with a shiny gemstone hanging off the end. The Ninja had a feeling that's what he needed to destroy. He dodged out of the way of another attack and headed up an even taller building. He jumped down and landed on the monster's back. He roared and tried to shake him off. To balance himself, The Ninja grabbed the stank's neck and readied his sword. Then he placed the sword under the necklace and sliced it, destanking the man._

 

_"Ugh..." The man groaned. holding his head. Ortensia hurried over and gently grabbed his arm._

 

_"Are you okay, sir?" She asked, sounding genuinely worried about him._

 

_"I-I think so..." He groaned. "But, I don't seem to recall what happened..."_

 

_"I'll explain on the way to the shelter. Come on." Ortensia said gently as she lead the man away. As she passed by, she winked at The Ninja._

 

_/I wonder if Julius is done too./ The Ninja thought._

 

_............._

 

_Julius had rushed over to the south side, really nervous to be fighting a monster on his own. It had always been him and The Ninja working together, but now...now he had to do it on his own._

 

_**Oh no! I'm really doing this alone! What if I mess up? What if I can't turn her back to normal? Oh no, this is gonna turn out awful!** _

 

_The stank was swinging her tail against buildings and roaring loudly. Julius knew he couldn't let his anxiety stop him now and he hurried over. Seeing The Companion, she got more hostile and lunged with her mouth wide open. Julius tumbled out of the way before the weasel could eat him. Panting, he looked for an object on her to destroy. The weasel smacked Julius, causing him to hit a building. His body ached as he staggered up. The monster loomed over him, so he quickly got out of the way._

 

 _Without The Ninja he wasn't doing too well. He closed his eyes tightly and sniffled._  
  
 **Was this a mistake? Was Aleu wrong? Is it really my place in The Grand Design, to be a ninja? Maybe I was just meant to take people to the shelter...Maybe not even that....**  
  
"Companion!" He heard Aleu yell. He half expected her to tell him to get out of the way and let the real hero, The Ninja handle it. Instead she finished with a "Look out!"  
  
Julius' eyes snapped open and he leapt out of the way. He was actually surprised he managed to get out of the way in time.  
  
"Left! Right! Left! Right!" Aleu said. Julius listened and managed to dodge the attacks.  
  
"Thanks!" He said.  
  
"No problem!" Aleu said. "I need to check on The Ninja, you think you'll be fine?"  
  
Julius felt nauseated. Before Aleu came he was getting his butt whooped. He ducked out of the way as he replied, "Y-yeah! Go a-ahead!"  
  
"Good luck!" Aleu said before running of.  
  
*I'll need all the luck I can get.*  
  
The stank got on her hind legs and let out the most ungodly sound ever.  
  
Julius put his paws on his ears and hissed, "Why can't you just talk like every other weasel!?"

 

_The weasel whacked him with her tail. Instead of letting himself get hit, he held onto her tail. She smacked her tail up and down, trying to get him off. Julius felt woozy, he couldn't even think of destankage at this point. Eventually he felt so sick he couldn't hold on, and let go. Luckily someone caught him._

 

“ _You okay?”_

 

“ _Plop Plop!” Julius said, relieved. He got back up and started fighting the stank again. “I'm fine...just a bit..shaken...”_ _The weasel hissed and grabbed him in her paws, her claws holding him firmly in place._  
  
"What do I do? What do I do?" Julius panicked.  
  
"Uh....use your sword?" Plop Plop suggested.  
  
"Oh right!" Julius felt around. "Sword....sword....sword.....Where is it!"  
  
"You don't have your sword!?" Plop Plop yelled in disbelief.  
  
"N-no..." Julius whimpered.  
  
Plop Plop panicked. "I'll go get The Ninja!"  
  
As much as Julius didn't want The Ninja see him fail, he knew this was for the best. "Okay!"  
  
Plop Plop ran off, leaving The Companion to try and find a way out of this creature's paws. He wiggled his tail and noticed it was loose. He stuck it between the crack in between her paws and tried to pry them open. He made some progress, but eventually he couldn't go any  farther. He extended his claws and sunk them into her paw pads.  
  
The stank hissed and dropped him. Julius landed on his butt. When he looked up he saw something shiny on her ear. An earring.  
  
He hopped onto her back and then to her head, and gripped her ear. First he tried to pull it out. All that did was make the monster let out a loud snarl, and an attempt to claw him off. She stumbled around, trying to get him off. Julius got hit a few times, but kept his grip. 

 

_**I really am a terrible Ninja!** _ _She pawed at him again, and hit the distracted cat. He fell off and the stank towered over him. Julius_ _was pretty quickly losing his confidence. He even held back tears as he rolled out of the way of another attack._

  
  


_**He’s gonna fire me for sure!** _

  
  


_The stank drew closer and corner Julius against a building._

 

“ _Go for her legs!” Julius looked up and saw Aleu standing above. There was no doubt The Ninja sent her to help until he got there. He nodded and ran towards the monster's legs and clawed her kneecap._ _The monster let out a thrill shriek before pushing Julius aside and continuing her rampage._  
  
"I found out how to turn her back!" Julius reported to Aleu. "It's her earring! I can't get it off though!"  
  
"Use your sword!" Aleu called back.

 

“ _Right!” Julius started running towards the weasel, but stopped abruptly. Now he knew The Ninja didn't send her. “...I uh...I don't...I don't have my sword...”_

 

“ _Oh...” Aleu didn't know what else to say. “Uh...try pulling it out.”_

 

“ _I already tried that!” Julius said._

 

“ _Just...go after her.” Aleu said. Julius nodded and headed off._

  
  


_The weasel struck at villagers and buildings, before getting on her haunches and letting out a mighty roar, and running off again._

  
  


_Julius panted as he tried to keep up. When she noticed, the stank whacked him with her tail. He grabbed tightly with his claws, and climbed her back._

  
  


“ _Companion!” The Ninja called. He looked down and saw him holding his sword. He leapt down and grabbed it._

  
  


“ _Thanks!” Julius said, relived._

  
  


“ _Did you find a way to turn her back?” The Ninja asked._

  
  


“ _I think so.” Julius said. “Her earring.”_

  
  


“ _I’ll attack her from the front and distract her, you sneak behind and get her earring.” The Ninja whispered._

  
  


_Julius grabbed his tail. “I-I’m not s-sure about this. Maybe_ _**I** _ _should be the d-distraction. I f-forgot my s-sword. I-I’m a t-terrible n-ninja.”_

  
  


_The Ninja sighed. “We’ll discuss this later. Right now we need to we need to focus on the task at hand.”_

  
  


_Julius nodded, but he was hesitant. The Ninja leapt in front of the weasel, took out his sword, and swung it around, getting her attention. She hissed and turned her attention from The Companion to him. When Julius reached her head he quickly sliced his sword through the earring. It broke and the monster was destanked._

  
  


_Plop Plop and Oswald rushed over to help her up, then started leading her to the shelter._

  
  


_Julius exhaled, then his eyes lit up and he smiled widely. He then proceeded to prance around. “I did it! I did it! I’m not a terrible ninja after all!”_

  
  


“ _Companion…” The Ninja said, sounding very annoyed. Julius slowly turned around to see him, fists on hips, eyes narrowed, and foot tapping._

  
  


“ _Oh uh..h-hey Ninja! Uh thanks for the help back there..heh…”_

 

“ _That was one of the most irresponsible, ill-prepared, things you've ever done!”_

 

_'I-I'm s-s-sorry I..I-I did-didn't I...It was an a-accident, I f-f-forgot...Please d-don't fire m-me!'_

 

_'”'m not going to, but you need to be more responsible.”_

 

“ _I promise!'”Julius said, a little too excited for a second chance._

 

“ _Good.'”The Ninja said with a small nod. The two headed home, awaiting The Sorcerer's next attack._

 

.............

 

Julius was flustered by the story. 'I-l um...”

 

“You haven’t forgotten your sword since then.” The Ninja pointed out.

  
  


Julius relaxed. “Right! I didn’t!”

  
  


“Now, how to word this…” The Ninja wondered out loud.

  
  


“Don’t forget your sword?” Plop Plop suggested.

  
  


“No.” Was all The Ninja said.

 

“The sword is mightier than the...the cat.” Ortensia said.

 

"Uh, a sword is mightier than anyone, Ortensia! It's a sword!" Plop Plop said over dramatically.  
  
Oswald felt the need to defend his mate's honor. "Hey, her lesson idea was a lot better than 'Don't  lose your sword!'"  
  
"At least I had an idea unlike you..." Plop Plop grumbled.  
  
Oswald's ears twitched and he huffed then crossed his arms. "Well!...I too do have an idea!"  
  
"What is it?" The Ninja asked.  
  
"Yeah, what is it?" Plop Plop teased.  
  
"Uh..." He tapped his foot, then a moment later his ears shot up and he smiled widely. “Believe in the sword!”

  
  


“You just pulled that out of your ears...” Plop Plop grumbled.

  
  


“That may actually work.” The Ninja said.

  
  


“Wait, what?” Plop Plop asked, bewildered.

  
  


“Yet, I feel it needs a bit more cleaning up.” He continued.

  
  


"Yeah...In case they don't know where the sword is like Julius." Plop Plop teased.  
  
Julius' ears folded back as he blushed and pouted while holding his tail even tighter.   
  
"Uh...Believe in the sword in the suit?" Oswald suggested.  
  
"I feel that is a bit too straight forward." The Ninja replied. "We really need to make The Ninja think."  
  
"Why don't we change sword to weapon?" The Messenger suggested.  
  
The Ninja's eyes lit up. He quickly scribbled down, 'Believe in the weapon that is in the suit'.  
  
"Perfect." He said. "Now, what shall we add next?"  
  
......  
  
The Sorcerer sighed in annoyance as he grabbed an orb from his belt. It glowed as he made contact with The Sorceress.  
  
........  
  
"No! The PastMaster could not defeat my dearest Sorcerer in a fight!" The Sorceress playfully hissed.  
  
The Peddler chuckled. "Oh? Does your 'Dearest Sorcerer' have an undead army?"  
  
"No, but he has much more powerful creatures! Ones that could crush his army of the undead!"  
  
The Peddler laughed a bit more.  
  
The orbs on The Sorceress' necklace, instantly made her turn her attention away from him.   
  
The Peddler frowned. It just reminded him how much she loved The Sorcerer, and how she'd never love him like that.  
  
"Hello my sweet." The Sorceress said. "Good news?"  
  
 _ **Unfortunately I do not. I do have...interesting news about The Ninja however. It seems he is writing a book to teach new ninjas**_  
  
"What!?" The Sorceress hissed. "We don't need anymore of those hooligans, one and his cat is enough!"  
  
 _ **I agree my love. He has written the first lesson in it already. "Believe in the weapon that is in the suit."**_  
  
The Sorceress made a sound of disgust. "That sounds like  sickeningly sweet self motivation talk!"  
  
 _ **Surprisingly,my love, that is not what it means.**_  
  
"Oh?" She asked.  
  
 _ **It regards the sword and it's location.**_  
  
The Sorceress laughed. "Well, with confusing advice like that, maybe The Ninja will fail!"  
  
 _ **I hope so. Goodbye my love.**_  
  
"Goodbye." The Sorceress sighed as she let go of her necklace, not knowing the next time he'd contact her again.  
  
The Peddler frowned at her unhappiness. "Are you all right?"  
  
"I'm...I'm not sure..." The Sorceress said, letting down her defense for once. "I just miss  my love so much, and I fear what The Ninja is planning with that book."  
  
"Don't worry." The Peddler said gently. "You just need to get your mind off of it."  
  
She sighed again. " I suppose you're right. Want to play I Spy?"    
  
  
  
  


 


	12. Writing The Nomicon Part 2

“So what are we putting in next?” Plop Plop asked.

  
  


“I’m thinking….” The Ninja said, tapping the writing utensil against the book.

  
  


Aleu laid down, resting her head in her paws. She looked up at the sun beating down, and panted. She turned to the glass of lemonade and lapped it up quickly, and started chewing an ice cube.

  
  


“Hot out isn’t it?”

Aleu looked down. “Hello, Muru. Yeah, it’s really hot out…”

  
  


The little mouse climbed up to the cup and took a small sip.

  
  


“Hey!” Aleu teased in between giggles. “Guardian Angels don’t get thirsty, do they?”

  
  


“No.” Muru admitted. “But, we still enjoy the taste of lemonade.” He paused for a moment and watched the others below. “They’re having quite a bit of trouble, aren’t they? Why don’t you contribute?”

  
  


Aleu sighed. “I would, but I have no idea what to say.”

  
  


“Haven't you learned anything from me?” Muru asked.

  
“Well...yeah..” Aleu said, sitting up. “You want me to tell them things you've said?”

  
  


“I don't see why not.” Muru said. He closed his eyes, puffed his chest out, and placed his paw on it.   
  
."I do think I'm pretty wise."  
  
Aleu smiled. "I know you are." She paused for a moment. "So I just tell them about The  Grand Design?"  
  
"Maybe not that." Muru said. He scratched behind his ear. "Being The Ninja is what they're destined to do."  
  
"Then...About Guardian Angels?" Aleu asked.  
  
Muru shook his head. "No. That's the job of the angel."  
  
"Then,what?" Aleu asked, starting to get a bit wound up from the whole thing.   
  
"Think." He replied gently. "I'm sure I've taught you something that will work."  
  
The mouse winked before fading away. Aleu sighed and rested her head back onto her paws. All the things Muru had ever taught her swirled in her mind:  
  
 _ **The pack leader needs to be there for her pack.**_  
  
 _Would that be The Companion? Or a family like ours? Maybe I'll just skip this one._  
  
 _ **Howl through the rain.**_  
  
 _I mean,_ _ **I**_ _understand what he means, but what The Ninja?_

  
  


_**A creature without balance will fall.** _

  
  


Aleu sat up quickly. “Ninja!”

  
  


Everyone stopped talking and quickly looked to Aleu, expecting news about The Sorcerer, or any other threat to the village.'

  
  


“I know something we can add!” She said excitedly.

  
  


Everyone silently breathed a sigh of relief. The Ninja looked up. “What would you like to contribute?”

  
  


“It's something Muru told me...'A creature without balance will fall'.”

  
  


“While that is good advice, it may need to be tweaked a bit.” The Ninja replied.

  
  


“Tweaked?” Aleu didn't like the sound of that.

  
  


“Nothing major.” The Ninja reassured her. “Just one modification. Changing 'creature' to 'Ninja'.”

  
  


Aleu thought for a moment. “Yeah, that will work.”

  
  


The Ninja wrote, **A Ninja Without Balance will fall.**

…....

  
  


Inside the hole The Sorcerer scowled as he pet his rat. “I don't get why he even changed the wording. 'Creature' and 'Ninja' practically mean the same thing.”

  
  


The rat let out an offended squeak.

  
  


“My apologizes.” The Sorcerer said. “I'd never call you a Ninja...or a creature. You are a noble rat. No other animal is superior to you.”

  
  


The rat puffed out her chest proudly.

  
  


“So small,nimble, and quick.” He continued. The rat looked up, knowing there must have been something more to him complimenting her like that. “That is why I ask a favor of you.”

  
  


The rat let of a squeak of loyalty and focused her attention on The Sorcerer.

  
  


“You can burrow right?”

  
  


The rat nodded.

  
  


“Good.” He pointed to something.” I want you to climb up that pipe and dig out. Then I want you to go to a shop, find a book, and pen, and bring them pack to me. Got it?”

  
  


The rat let out understanding squeaks and scurried up the pipe. Unfortunately, she slid down. She let out a nervous sound and tried again. The Sorcerer sighed and rolled his eyes. “Forget it girl...I'll figure something else out.”

  
  


“NIIIIIIIINJAAAAA!”

  
  


…..............

Above the hole everyone ceased talking and put their attention towards The Sorcerer.

  
  


Although at the same time they were all preparing themselves in case there was trouble: Aleu felt her back arch and a scowl form. A deep snarl was brewing in her throat. Ortensia held her father and her mate's hand and paw respectively, not sure if they'd choose fight or flight. Plop Plop was up, obviously choosing flight. The Ninja and Julius both gripped their swords tightly. The companion was shaking a bit.  
  
"What Sorcerer?" The Ninja asked, a thick amount of venom in his tone.  
  
"Since I have been imprisoned...perhaps for a long time....A few hours, days, weeks, months, years, decades,centuries-"  
  
"Forever." The Ninja said firmly.  
  
"Yes...Well then, if I'm here forever, why don't you at least give something to do?"  
  
"You can sit there and pay the consequences for your actions!" He snapped.  
  
"Come now Ninja, have a heart. Even prisoners sentenced to life get books."  
  
"You want a book?" The Ninja asked flatly.  
  
"Not exactly. I would like a journal to write a memoir."  
  
"What I am writing now will serve as your memoir." The Ninja replied. "Every Ninja will know how wicked and cruel you are."  
  
"You won't even let me tell my side of the story?" The Sorcerer asked.  
  
The Ninja stayed silent for a moment, everyone watching him and waiting. Finally he sighed and said, "What is your part of the story?"  
  
"I was but a humble peddler." The Sorcerer said dramatically as he held his hand out, talking directly to the rat on his palm. "A sickly sweet, dumb, humble peddler that is. I tried to sell my bountiful fruit to a young woman who told me she couldn't pay. Instead of shunning her and turning her away, I idiotically decided to give her everything! After failing to be a beggar myself I took a walk. Then, I stumbled across The Chaos Pearl. It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. I picked it up and felt the power rush through me. I had became a monster, but I loved it. It was one of the most amazing things I've ever felt! However, I still wanted more. I felt with my power the world should surrender itself to me. Then you and your brothers had to interfere! I could dispose of them, but you refused to die! Then you got that blasted companion of yours involved! Now I'm trapped here,plotting my escape, and my revenge..."  
  
The Ninja flipped to a new page and wrote the following:  
  
*/In Ancient Times, a poor and wretched peddler stumbled upon a great evil. Weak of will and tempted by the awesome power, he gave himself to the darkness, and The Sorcerer came to be.*/  
  
"Now The Ninja will know your side. Are you satisfied?"  
  
The Sorcerer paused. /Drat! That Ninja has outsmarted me again! I need to get a hold of a journal!/  
  
"It does satisfy my want to tell my story, but it doesn't satisfy my want for entertainment. A journal would allow me to er...express my feelings and..err.. regret...for my actions." The last few sentences came out strained.   
  
"All right." The Ninja gave in. Her turned to Julius. "Companion."  
  
"Yes, Ninja?" Julius replied.  
  
The Ninja dug into his robes and pulled out some coins and placed them in Julius' paw. "Go to the shop and get a journal...A cheap journal...For The Sorcerer."  
  
"Got it." Julius said, giving a small nod. So not to add any extra hype he hid behind a barrel  and removed his mask. He waited a few seconds, then left from the opposite side he entered.  
  
The Ninja smiled under his mask, proud of how far he'd come. He turned his attention back to the book. "Since Aleu contributed a lesson from her mentor Muru, I think I should add somethings I learned from my greatest mentor. My father."  
  
Aleu, up to that point, had never thought of Muru as her mentor. Now that it was said aloud, it made sense. Hearing her inner thoughts, Muru appeared and smiled widely before hugging her leg.  
  
“I’m quite flattered Aleu.” He said. “I didn’t realize you thought of me that way.”

  
  


“I didn’t either.” Aleu said, smiling a bit. “But, you _are_ my mentor. You’ve taught me so much,without you...without you I-I don’t know how I’d manage leading the pack.”

  
  


“Have more faith in yourself.” Muru said. “You’re a lot stronger than you think.”

  
  


“Thanks..” Aleu said gently. Although she was still a bit worried, and she wondered if The Ninja ever felt this way about everything.

  
  


He did. As he sat there, thinking of which of his father’s lessons to add, he thought about if he’d be proud. And what about his brothers and their squires? Would they be proud to? These thoughts were hard to escape, and sometimes they distracted him.

  
  


He looked at Oswald and Ortensia, snuggled closely together. Then his thoughts shifted to Julius, and he remembered the day they were all adopted. Then he thought of how _What is Wild Should not be Caged_ turned into a case of _A Ninja must never endanger the innocent, but he must always defend the defenseless._

  
  


Realizing these are were perfect lessons he wrote them down.   
…........  
Julius tried to enjoy the walk to the store. The birds tweeted and sang as they fluttered around in twitterpation. He smiled as he watched them fly by.

  
  


“Julius!”

  
  


He turned around and saw Alice rushing towards him. He smiled and waved to her. “Hey Alice!”

  
  


“Where are you off to?” She asked.

  
  


“Uh..the shop.” Julius said. “I need to get something.”

  
  


“Can I come with?” Alice asked. “I haven’t really been to the shop in a while, too busy working, and I wanna see what they have in stock.”

  
  


“Sure.” Julius said with a smile small. When the two got to the shop, Alice started to look around at all the new things. Julius meanwhile was on the search for a journal

  
  


“Look at this!” Alice proclaimed. Julius looked over and saw her holding a beautiful wind chime. It was a beautiful silver-blue, with small fake sparkling diamonds hanging at the bottom. When Alice swayed it back and fourth it let out a heavenly chime.

 

“Nice!” Julius said before looking again for a journal.

 

Alice frowned and went over to him and tapped his shoulder. “Um...Julius?”

 

At her touch Julius jumped a little. “Y-yeah, Alice?”

 

“Are you okay?” She asked gently, not removing her hand.

 

“Y-yeah, I'm fine.” Julius said. “I'm just looking for something.”

 

“For what? I can help.” Alice said.

 

“A journal.”

 

“A journal, huh.” Alice repeated. Her eyes scanned the shop, and then she went over to a shelf. She picked up one with a shiny black cover. “What about this one? It's got a leather cover! I know it's kind of pricey, but this paper is such high guilty too! Isn't it great?”

 

Julius remembered what The Ninja had told him about keeping it cheap. He shook his head. “It's a little too pricey for me.”

 

“All right...” Alice looked around some more. “How about...this one?”

 

She held one up with a blue cover. The cat looked it over (and the price), and nodded. “Yeah that will work. Thanks, Alice.”

 

She smiled. “Hey, no problem.”

 

The two went up the counter and paid for their things.  
  
"It's so pretty." Alice said, her eyes sparkling as she looked at it, and jingled it back and forth.  
  
"Yeah, it's nice." Julius said. "Uh, listen,...I gotta go."  
  
Alice frowned. "Oh...Okay." She sounded a bit sad.  
  
"I'm sorry." Julius apologized. "But, I really need to go...."  
  
"I'll see you later, right?"  
  
He gave her a small, reassuring smile. "Of course!"  
  
The two went their separate ways. When he was alone Julius hid behind a barrel and put on her mask. Then he ninja'd back  to The Ninja.  
  
"Here you go!" Julius panted, handing the book over to him.  
  
The Ninja nodded once and took the journal. “Sorcerer, my companion was returned with a journal for you.

  
  


“Very good, Ninja.” The Sorcerer said. “Now bring it to me.”

  
  


“No.”

  
  


“No?”

  
  


“No. I know what you're planning to do.” The Ninja snapped. “When I'm giving the journal to you, you'll attack me and escape.”

  
  


The Sorcerer paused. That was actually a good plan....Not that he could do it now. 'Then, why did you get me the journal at all?”

  
  


“I have another idea.” The Ninja said. He looked to Ortensia and waved her over. Confused, she approached The Ninja. “I have someone who will write whatever you want in the journal for you.”

  
  


_Rats! How can I write a counter Nomicon now!?_

  
  


Not wanting The Ninja to know his internal anguish, The Sorcerer forced himself to smile and say in a sinister way, "That's a perfect idea, Ninja...I'm sure I can make use of this little author..." He cackled.  
  
Ortensia let out a nervous whine and faced The Ninja, eyes wide in fear.  
  
The Ninja looked over and saw The Messenger clench his fists and grind his teeth angrily.  
  
The Ninja put his hand on the worried cat's shoulder. "I promise he's not able to harm you. If he tries, I'll protect you...That is, if your dad doesn't kill him first."  
  
He noticed The Messenger was giving the ground a death glare that said, 'If you touch one hair on her head, you're going down!',as if The Sorcerer could see him.  
  
"Oh Ninja, I wouldn't dream of hurting the little author." The Sorcerer said with a small sigh in his voice as he rolled his eyes slightly. "Just leave her to me so I may write."  
  
The Ninja hesitated for a second before deciding Ortensia was safe and heading back to the others. Besides, her dad was keeping a close watch on her.  
  
"S-so um...w-w-what d-do you w-w-want me t-to w-wr-wri-write?" Ortensia stuttered out.   
  
The Sorcerer had no idea. He had wanted to make a counter Nomicon, as a guide for another to destroy The Ninja. However there was no way he was writing it now. He needed to come up with a new plan.  
  
Then it hit him.  
  
"Well, I've decided to write about one of my old interests...History."  
  
Ortensia was surprised. "O-oh, I-I had n-no idea that y-you...liked h-history."  
  
"Of course you didn't. It's not like we ever had time to get to know one another."  
  
"Yeah...r-right...."  
  
"Although, I am quite curious about you."  
  
"O-oh?" Ortensia breathed out.

  
  


“May I ask some questions to get and know you?” The Sorcerer asked.

  
  


Ortensia felt a shiver run through her spine. “Uh...well...uh...sure...?”

  
  


“Then we'll start with something simple....What is your name?”

  
  


“....Sadie...” She lied, knowing nothing good could come of him knowing her true name.

  
  


“And what species are you?” The Sorcerer continued.

  
  


“....Human....”

  
  


“Good, very good.” The Sorcerer said, knowing she could be useful later. “Now, let us begin.”

  
  


He cleared his throat and told Ortensia what to write. To her confusion, it was historical events.

  
  


  
"Um, excuse me?" Ortensia interrupted his spiel on Norrisville.   
  
"What is it?" The Sorcerer sighed in annoyance.  
  
"I'm just curious, why do you want to write about history?"  
  
"Oooh, you'll see soon enough my little Sadie."  
  
Ortensia felt a shiver through her spine, making her shudder. This caused The Messenger to look over. When he was positive she was all right, he put attention back to the others.  
  
The Sorcerer continued, "A major staple of Norrisville's food supply is the carp."  
  
The others will still thinking of what to write.  
  
"Uh...Should we we write about that weird thing The Sorcerer does?" Plop Plop asked.  
  
  


The Sorcerer ceased telling 'Sadie' about the high work ethic in Norrisville. "What weird thing?" He nearly hissed these words.  
  
"You know, that thing you do all the time?" Plop Plop prompted. "With the green smoke and turning people in monsters?"  
  
"My powers?"  
  
"Yeah, those."  
  
The Sorcerer grumbled under his breath before speaking up again, "You imbecile! There is nothing weird about my powers! They are something to be envied! To be feared!"  
  
"Well, it's still pretty weird." Plop Plop said, voice full of snark.  
  
The Sorcerer growled.  
  
The Ninja finally spoke up,"I agree, my squire. We need to include information on The Sorcerer's brutal power."  
  
"How are you going to riddle up this time Ninja?" Plop Plop asked. "Don't falter in the sight of weird?"  
  
"My powers aren't weird, you twit!"  
  
"Perhaps it's best if this one isn't a riddle." The Ninja said. "This may be the biggest threat to The Ninja, and I want them to understand it."  
  
"So....Fight the evil green smoke?" Plop Plop suggested.  
  
"Smoke?" Aleu asked in confusion, lifting up her head from her paws. "It's more of a fog than smoke, Plop Plop."  
  
"Not really." Plop Plop said.  
  
"More like a mist!" Oswald chimed in.  
  
"No, it's smoke."  
  
"Fog!"  
  
"Mist!"  
  
"Smoke!"  
  
"Fog!"  
  
"Mist!"  
  
"Smoke!"  
  
"Fog!"  
  
"Mist!"  
  
"Smoke!"  
  
"Fog!"  
  
"Mis-"  
  
"Enough!" The Ninja finally yelled, shutting Plop Plop, Aleu, and Oswald up pretty quickly. "If you can't agree on a proper term, I'll choose one!"  
  
"And that's smoke, right?" Plop Plop asked. The Ninja glared. "What?"  
  
The Ninja let out an annoyed sigh as he put his face in his palm. "No. I'm going to refer to it as 'The evil funk'. Got it?"  
  
"Funk, huh? What the heck is funk anyhow?" Plop Plop grumbled.  
  
"I too am offended by the wording." The Sorcerer sighed. No one could understand the true beauty of his power (With the possible exception of his beloved Sorceress.)  
  
"The funk is used to possess objects of those emotionally vulnerable." The Ninja noted. "So lets see....The Evil Funk posses the vulnerable using that which he holds most dear."  
  
He looked around for approval. Everyone seemed pretty happy with the new lesson, so he wrote it in The Nomicon.  
  
 _So far so good. I just hope we don't have anymore arguments about wording....._  
  
  
  


 


End file.
